AH)  FDD50RES 


UC-NRLF 


^WELL-PLANNED  HOUSES  ON  POULTRY  PLANT   AT    U.    S.    GOVERNMENT    EXPERIMENT    FARM 

The  planning  and  location  of  houses  are  subjects  worthy  of  the  poultry  keeper's  most  careful  attention.  Many  prac- 
tical, helpful  suggestions  will  be  found  in  the  above  views  on  the  poultry  plant  of  the  U.  S.  Department  of  Agriculture 
at  Beltsville,  Md.  1 — Colony  house  for  growing  stock  on  range.  2 — Cockerel  house.  3 — Portable  colony  hover  house. 
4 — Colony  house  for  growing  stock  in  woodland.  5 — Gable-roof  breeding  house.  6 — Portable  house  for  adult  stock 
(breeders  or  layers)  on  range.  7 — Compartment  house  for  layers  or  breeders.  Feed  house  at  right. 


POULTRY  HOUSES 
AND  FIXTURES 


How  to    Lay  Out  Poultry    Plants.      Accurate  Plans    for    Constructing    Practical, 

Economical   Laying  Houses,  Large  and   Small.     Low-cost    Construction 

for  Back  Yard  Poultry  Keepers.    Colony  and  Portable  Houses, 

Incubator  and  Brooder  Houses,  Administration  and  Other 

Special  Purpose  Buildings.  Labor-Saving  Interior 

and  Exterior  Fixtures  and  Equipment 


FULLY  ILLUSTRATED 

EIGHTH  EDITION 


PRICE,  $1.00 


Copyright  by 
RKLIABLK  POULTRY  JOURNAL  PUBLISHING  COMPANY 

Quincy,  Illinois 
1919 


PUBLISHED  BY 

RELIABLE  POULTRY  JOURNAL  PUBLISHING  COMPANY 

1 1 

Q  DINGY,    ILLINOIS,   U.  S.  A. 


CONTENTS 


INTRODUCTION 

CHAPTER  I 
Locating  and  Planning  Poultry  Houses  7 

CHAPTER  II 
Economical  Back  Yard  Poultry  Houses  25 

CHAPTER  III 
Houses  for  Commercial  Laying  Flocks  34 

CHAPTER  IV 
Laying  Houses  to  Meet  Special  Conditions  45 

CHAPTER  V 
Comfortable  Houses  for  Breeding  Pens  57 

CHAPTER  VI 
Portable  Colony  and  Brooder  Houses  65 


CHAPTER  VII 


Permanent  Brooder  Houses 


70 


CHAPTER  VIII 
Practical   Incubator   Houses 79 

CHAPTER  IX 
Administration  and  Other  Special  Buildings 83 

CHAPTER  X 
Interior  Fixtures  and  Equipment  91 

CHAPTER  XI 

Exterior  Fixtures  and  General  Equipment : 104 

Index  ...  A Ill 


INTRODUCTION 


OULTRY  houses  correctly  planned  and  built  are 
vitally  important  to  the  success  of  every  poultry 
enterprise,  whether  it  is  to  be  established  on  a 
large  or  a  small  scale.  While  such  houses  must 
of  necessity  be  comparatively  plain  and  simple  in  design, 
they  also  must  meet  certain  definite  conditions  to  be  gen- 
uinely practical.  Regardless  of  size,  every  such  building, 
for  whatever  purpose  intended,  must  provide  not  only  for 
the  comfort  and  well-being  of  the  fowls,  but  also  for  the 
convenience  of  the  caretaker.  And  it  must  do  this  always 
at  moderate  cost. 

To  be  able  to  design  a  house  that  will  meet  these  truly 
important  requirements,  calls  for  much  practical  experi- 
ence, for  a  wide  knowledge  of  what  others  have  tried 
and  found  satisfactory — or  unsatisfactory — along  the  same 
lines,  and  finally,  for  some  knowledge  of  the  general 
principles  of  architecture.  It  is  small  wonder  if  begin- 
ners and  even  experienced  poultry  keepers,  make  innumer- 
able mistakes  in  their  building  operations — mistakes  that 
must  be  corrected  at  heavy  expense  or  remain  as  perma- 
nent handicaps  to  their  future  success. 

Under  such  conditions  there  is  an  unquestioned  need 
for  a  book  that  shall  present,  in  a  fairly  comprehensive 
manner,  the  best  that  is  available  in  practical  up-to-date 
plans  conservatively  designed  to  meet  the  requirements  of 
poultry  keepers  wherever  located.  It  was  to  supply  this 
need  that  "Poultry  Houses  and  Fixtures"  was  published, 
the  first  edition  of  which  was  issued  in  1897,  and  which  has 
been  revised  from  time  to  time  to  keep  pace  with  the 
rapid  developments  that  have  taken  place  in  this  branch 
of  poultry  science  since  that  date.  In  point  of  fact,  this 
development  has  been  so  rapid  and  so  radical  that  in  this 
latest  revision  it  has  been  found  necessary  to  employ  new 
plans  and  new  descriptive  matter  almost  exclusively 
throughout  all  sections  of  the  book. 

As  the  completed  work  now  stands  we  believe  that  it 
meets  the  requirements  of  practical  poultry  keepers  to  a 
degree  unequalled  by  any  similar  publication.  It  contains 
complete  and  thoroughly  tested  plans  for  each  type  of 
house  that  is  likely  to  be  required  for  the  use  of  fowls, 
fixtures  and  general  equipment  have  received  special  atten- 
tion and  we  have  taken  advantage  of  the  opportunity 
afforded  by  this  revision,  to  supply  a  chapter  presenting 
clearly  and  in  much  detail,  the  general  principles  of  poul- 
try-house design  and  construction,  so  that  the  individual 
builder,  even  though  he  may  have  had  little  or  no  personal 
experience,  will  be  able  to  weigh  with  reasonable  accu- 
racy the  respective  merits  of  the  different  plans,  as  they 
relate  to  his  particular  requirements,  and  also  intelligently 
to  make  such  modifications  as  his  individual  conditions 
may  render  desirable. 

The  changes  in  approved  types  of  poultry  houses  that 
have  taken  place  in  recent  years  have  been  particularly 
marked  in  the  case  of  those  provided  for  laying  and 
breeding  flocks.  When  "Poultry  Houses  and  Fixtures" 
was  first  published,  warmth  in  winter  was  regarded  as  of 
the  first  importance  in  such  houses,  and  all  details  of  con- 
struction were  designed  p.  imarily  to  "provide  summer  con- 
ditions in  winter,"  without  which  profitable  egg  produc- 
tion was  regarded  as  out  of  the  question.  These  houses 
were  liberally  supplied  with  glass  and  often  were  provided 
with  sloping  fronts,  skylights,  and  double  walls  carefully 
packed  with  insulating  material.  All  of  these  added  great- 
ly to  the  cost  and,  as  we  now  know,  are  entirely  unneces- 
sary and  may  even  prove  injurious  to  the  fowls. 


Experience  has  shown  that  closed-front  houses  are 
almost  invariably  poorly  ventilated,  damp,  and  unsanitary 
in  winter,  and  that  fowls  in  them  are  especially  liable  to 
colds,  roup,  and  other  diseases  directly  traceable  to  such 
conditions.  For  this  reason,  and  also  on  account  of  the 
extra  cost  of  building  such  houses,  their  popularity  soon 
waned  and  in  some  sections,  notably  New  England, 
scratching-shed  houses  of  the  type  illustrated  on  page  34 
came  into  vogue  for  a  time.  The  scratching-shed  house 
gave  the  fowls  much  better  conditions  in  the  daytime 
but,  with  mistaken  kindness,  still  provided  a  "warm"  place 
for  them  at  night,  the  place  being,  as  a  rule,  a  dark,  in- 
adequately ventilated  "dungeon"  so  obviously  objection- 
able from  a  sanitary  viewpoint  that  the  popularity  of  the 
scratching-shed  house  was  never  more  than  local.  It 
served  chiefly  as  a  stepping  stone  in  the  change  from  the 
old-fashioned  warm  house  to  the  present  curtain-front  or 
open-front  type  which  undoubtedly  meets  the  require- 
ments of  adult  fowls  more  nearly  than  any  other  now 
known. 

The  practice  of  using  houses  with  open  fronts  or 
curtain  fronts  has  become  almost  universal  in  the  last 
few  years,  and  it  is  only  under  peculiar  conditions  that 
closed-front  houses  are  now  regarded  as  practical. 
While  the  terms  "open  front"  and  "curtain  front,"  as  ap- 
plied to  poultry  houses,  are  used  rather  indiscriminately, 
the  former,  strictly  speaking,  refers  to  a  front  the  greater 
part  of  which  is  left  open  at  all  times.  The  "curtain 
front"  also  has  large  openings,  but  these  are  provided 
with  curtains  or  cloth-covered  shutters  which  can  be 
closed  in  extreme  weather.  The  "closed-front"  house  has 
all  openings  covered  with  glass  sash.  It  is  common  knowl- 
edge now  that  fowls  will  lay  well  in  cold  houses  so  long 
as  they  are  free  from  drafts  and  dampness,  and  nothing 
has  done  so  much  to  reduce  losses  from  disease  and  to 
make  poultry  keeping  a  practical,  money-making  industry, 
as  the  general  adoption  of  fresh-air  houses. 

No  one  person  can  claim  the  credit  for  the  develop- 
ment of  this  method  of  poultry-house  construction.  It 
has  been  the  gradual  result  of  the  experience  and  obser- 
vation of  practical  poultrymen  in  widely  separated  loca- 
tions, who  have  found  that  still  cold  is  not  a  serious 
obstacle  to  winter  egg  production,  and  that  the  proper 
use  of  muslin  curtains  or  muslin-covered  shutters  insures 
the  best  kind  of  ventilation,  at  the  same  time  keeping  the 
house  as  warm  as  it  is  possible  to  have  it  and  secure  the 
free  ciiculation  that  now  is  generally  regarded  as  abso- 
lutely essential  to  the  health  of  the  fowls.  The  famous 
Maine  Station  cloth-front  poultry  house,  illustrated  on 
page  35  was  one  of  the  first  houses  of  this  type  to  be 
built,  and  it  has  served  as  a  model  for  thousands  of  others. 

Acting  apparently  on  the  belief  that  if  a  little  fresh 
air  is  good,  a  great  deal  is  better,  some  extreme  types 
of  open-front  houses  have  been  developed.  These  houses 
serve  practically  no  purpose  except  to  protect  the  hens 
from  direct  storms,  the  inside  temperature  being  little  if 
any  higher  than  outdoors.  These  extremely  cold  houses 
appear  to  have  been  developed  through  a  failure  to  real- 
ize that  if  fowls  lay  well  in  them  they  do  so,  not  be- 
cause the  houses  are  cold,  but  in  spite  of  that  fact.  In 
other  words,  there  is  no  advantage  in  exposing  the  hens 
unnecessarily  to  extreme  cold.  On  the  contrary,  it  is  a 
distinct  advantage  to  keep  the  house  as  warm  as  is  pos- 
sible without  interfering  with  proper  ventilation.  Sooner 
or  later  poultrymen  who  adopt  radical  open-front  con- 


415047 


struction  are  glad,  as  a  rule,  to  provide  muslin  protection 
and  to  utilize  it  fully  on  occasion. 

The  foregoing  applies,  of  course,  only  to  winter  condi- 
tions in  cold  climates.  For  warm  weatb.r  ii  scarcely  is 
(  ossible  to  provide  too  much  ventilation.  This  is,  in  fact, 
one  of  the  builder's  most  difficult  problems — to  secure 
sufficient  ventilation  in  warm  weather  without  making  the 
house  too  cold  fo'r  successful  winter  use — and  in  the 
north  it  calls  for  careful  proportioning  of  window  and 
muslin-covered  surfaces  to  the  total  floor  space  enclosed. 
The  building  plans  given  in  this  book  are  conserva- 
tively designed  with  reference  to  the  amount  of  glass 
and  muslin-covered  openings  provided.  These  houses,  as 
illustrated,  are  intended  to  meet  the  requirements  of 
poultrymen  in  moderately  cold  climates.  The  only  change 
that  is  necessary  to  adapt  them  to  extremes,  either  of 
cold  or  heat,  is  to  increase  or  decrease  the  size  of  the 
curtains.  Glass  windows  are  not  required  south  of  the 
Ohio  River.  Some  poultry  keepers  far  north  of  that  lati- 
tude omit  glass  sashes,  but  as  a  rule  it  is  doubtful 
whether  it  is  true  economy  to  do  so.  In  all  northern  lati- 
tudes there  are  many  cold,  stormy  days  in  winter  when 
the  curtains  must  be  down,  and  the  houses  .will  be  inade- 
quately lighted  at  such  times  unless  some  glass  is  provided. 
Muslin-front  construction  is  applicable  to  laying  and 
breeding  houses,  colony  houses,  portable  houses,  and 
brooding  coops.  For  permanent  brooder  houses,  which 
are  used  mainly  .in  severe  winter  weather,  conditioning 
houses,  incubator  cellars,  etc.,  other  and  more  suitable 
methods  of  ventilation  are  provided. 

1  'The  widespread  popularity  of  the  muslin-front  house 
has  resulted  in  a  virtual  standardization  of  poultry-house 
construction — one  of  the  most  encouraging  developments 
in  the  industry.  Uniformity  and  simplicity  in  house  de- 
sign mean  economy  in  construction  and  greater  certainty 
of  results  than  can  possibly  be  achieved  where  there  are 
no  established  standards  to  adhere  to,  and  where  each 
builder  feels  the  need  of  originating  a  special  type  of 
house  to  meet  his  particular  requirements. 

There  still  is,  and  probably  always  will  be,  a  tendency 
among  beginners  to  try  to  work  out  original  plans  in  poul- 
try-house construction,  but  it  is  one  that,  in  the  inter- 
ests of  economy  and  efficiency,  should  be  firmly  repressed. 
The  beginner  can  safely  assume  that  the  essentials  of 
poultry-house  construction  are  now  so  thoroughly  under- 
stood that  approved  general  plans  now  require  only 
slight  modifications  to  adapt  them  to  special  requirements 
of  location  or  climate,  in  practically  all  parts  of  the  coun- 
try; also,  that  the  advantages  of  adopting  standard  de- 
signs are  so  great  that  scarcely  any  practical  condition 
will  justify  radical  departures  from  them. 

Many  new  plans  have  been  prepared  expressly  for 
"Poultry  Houses  and  Fixtures,"  embodying,  in  each  in- 
stance, only  those  designs  and  details  that  have  been  de- 
veloped and  tested  in  practical,  every  day  experience.  We 
have  attempted  to  present  sufficient  variety  to  meet  the 
requirements  of  poultry  keepers  in  all  parts  of  the  coun- 


try.  Throughout  the  book,  however,  it  will  be  seen  that, 
so  far  as  laying  and  breeding  houses  are  concerned,  we 
have  kept  close  to  certain  clearly  denned  standards,  so 
that  there  need  be  no  confusion  in  the  mind  of  the  reader 
as  to  just  what  changes,  if  any,  need  be  made  in  a  given 
plan  to  adapt  it  completely  to  his  own  conditions,  what- 
ever they  may  be.  As  a  rule,  complete  bills  of  materials 
required  in  building  the  different  houses  are  supplied,  but 
no  estimates  of  constiuction  cost  are  given,  or  only  in  the 
most  general  way.  Prices  of  all  kinds  of  materials  vary 
so  widely  at  the  present  time  that  estimates  of  cost 
would  serve  no  practical  purpose. 

At  the  risk  of  seeming  repetition  we  desire  to  im- 
press upon  the  prospective  builder  that,  in  poultry-house 
construction  particularly,  experiments  are  costly.  Doubt- 
less there  are  possibilities  for  improvement  in  the  best 
plans,  but  the  brightest  and  most  experienced  poultrymen 
and  women  in  the  country  have  been  studying  the  build- 
ing problem  for  many  years.  In  connection  with  the 
plans  here  given  there  is  scarcely  a  modification  or  change 
that  is  likely  to  suggest  itself  to  the  beginner  that  has 
not  been  tried  out  many  times  and  under  many  conditions, 
and  rejected  for  good  and  sufficient  reasons.  It  is  com- 
mendable to  be  on  the  lookout  for  better  plans — for  ad- 
vanced ideas,  but  the  practical  conservatism  that  allows 
"the  other  fellow"  to  try  out  new  things  first,  saves  much 
disappointment  and  expense. 

The  beginner,  therefore,  who  carefully  considers  his 
needs  and  requirements,  and  then  selects  the  house  that 
most  nearly  meets  his  conditions  and  follows  the  plans 
literally  from  foundation  to  roof,  will  save  time  and  money 
and  he  will  be  certain  of  having  a  building  that  will  not 
disappoint  him  when  put  to  practical  test. 

In  the  designing  and  testing  of  poultry  houses  th 
various  state  agricultural  experiment  stations  have  taken 
a  leading  part  in  recent  years.  Much  of  the  present  stand- 
ardization in  poultry-house  construction,  to  which  refer- 
ence has  already  been  made,  must  be  credited  to  this 
source.  In  "Poultry  Houses  and  Fixtures"  we  have 
availed  ourselves  freely  of  the  plans  given  in  the  various 
state  and  national  government  bulletins  on  the  subject. 

In  presenting  plans  and  detailed  descriptions  from 
this  source,  personal  credit  has  been  given  wherever  pos- 
•  sible,  but  we  wish  here  to  express  our  especial  indebted- 
ness for  helpful  suggestions  and  down-to-the-minute  in- 
formation secured  through  direct  correspondence  with 
many  of  these  government  workers,  each  a  recognized 
leader  in  the  poultry  industry,  and  each  with  special  fit- 
ness for  giving  instruction  in  poultry-house  design  by 
reason  of  elaborate  and  long-continued  experiments  in 
this  particular  line. 

This  edition  of  "Poultry  Houses  annd  Fixtures"  has 
been   carefully   edited   by    Homer   W.   Jackson,   Associat 
Editor    of    Reliable    Poultry    Journal,    who    has    prepare 
many  of  the  plans,  and  has  furnished  all  of  the  text  not 
duly  credited  to  other  contributors. 


CHAPTER  I 


Locating  arid  Planning  Poultry  Houses 

Laying  Out  the  Poultry  Plant  to  Save  Time  and  Labor— How  to  Design  Poultry  Houses  and  Adapt  Plans  to  Meet 

Special  Conditions— Practical  Building  Suggestions  That  Insure  Comfort  and  Health  of  Fowls  at 

Reasonable  Cost— Details  of  Carpenter  Work  Made  Easy  for  Amateur  Builders 


OWLS  are  "highly  adaptable  with  respect  to  the 
conditions  under  which  they  may  successfully  be 
kept.  This  is  extremely  fortunate,  because  the 
poultry  keeper's  choice  of  location  often  is  nec- 
essarily determined  by  personal  rather  than  by  practical 
considerations.  There  are  some  conditions  as  to  climate, 
soil,  market,  etc.,  that  are  conceded  to  be  ideal  for  poul- 
try keeping,  but  it  by  no  means  follows  that  success  is 
out  of  the  question  where  these  are  lacking.  On  the  con- 
trary, the  great  majority  of  successful  poultry  keepers 
have  made  good  in  the  face  of  obvi- 
ous handicaps.  Success,  therefore,  is 
not  so  much  a  matter  of  location  as 
it  is  of  intelligently  adapting  meth- 
ods to  the  particular  conditions  that 
are  to  be  met. 

Consideration  of  the  numerous  gen- 
eral problems  of  poultry  farm  loca- 
tion does  not  come  within  the  scope 
of  this  work.  It  is  assumed  that  this 
:  nportant  subject  has  received  due 
attention  here,  and  that  the  reader 
already  has  his  farm  or  plot  oi 
ground,  of  whatever  size,  and  wishes 
now  to  learn  how  he  can  utilize  it 
to  best  advantage  in  the  development 
of  his  poultry  flock,  locating  and 
planning  the  buildings  with  a  view 
to  securing  every  practical  conveni- 
ence, at  the  same  time  avoiding  un- 
necessary expense.  He  will  also  want 
to  learn. how  to  avoid  making  mis- 
takes that  may  prove  to  be  serious 
handicaps  in  years  to  come. 

It  may  be  well,  however,  to  say  that,  where  choice  is 
possible,  the  poultry  plant  should  have  sandy  or  gravelly 
soil,  for  the  sake  of  drainage.  The  ideal  soil  for  the  poul- 
try plant  is  sandy  loam — sandy  enough  to  be  well  drained, 


sheltered  from  prevailing  cold  winds  by  an  elevation  or  a 
strip  of  woodland,  as  shown  in  Fig.  1,  gives  the  fowls  a 
distinct  advantage  over  others  not  so  protected.  Lacking 
such  natural  advantages  planting  windbreaks  of  evergreens 
should  be  one  of  the  first  steps  taken  toward  developing 
a  new  poultry  plant,  particularly  in  locations  that  are 
exposed  to  high  winds. 

As  a  rule,  a  southern  or  southeastern  slope  is  de- 
sirable. This  permits  the  houses  to  face  the  sun  without 
being  exposed  to  prevailing  winds  which,  in  most  sections 


but    fertile    enough    to    hold    a    sod 
growing  crops  under  cultivation. 

It  is  entirely  practicable  to  keep  fowls  successfully  on 
clay   soils,   but    intensive   methods    are   not   to   be   recom- 


FIG.   1 — WELL,  LOCATED.  POULTRY  HOUSE,  WITH   OUTDOOR   FEED  HOPPER 

AND  WATE-R  BARREL 

It  pays  to  provide  neat,  attractive  poultry  houses,  located  where  the  fowls 
will  have  plenty  of  shade  and  where  they  will  be  protected  from  storms  Con- 
venient equipment  for  supplying  feed  and  water,  as  shown  above,  greatly  re- 
duces the  labor-  of  caring  for  the  fowls.  Photo  from  Purdue  University.  ' 

of  this  country,  are  from  the  west  or  southwest.  A 
southern  exposure  is  not  to  be  regarded  as  imperative, 
however,  under  any  and  all  conditions.  Where  the  pre- 
vailing winds  are  from  some  other  quarter,  and  in.  warm 


and  produce  quick-  climates  where  summer  heat  is  more  to  be  guarded  against 
than  winter  cold,  it  will  be  much  more  satisfactory  to  face 
the  house  in  some  other  direction.  Even  in  the  north,  an 
eastern  exposure  is  by  no  means  undesirable,  though  in 


mended    under    these    conditions.      Such    soils    are    much      this    case   all    openings,    yard    doors    as   well   as   windows, 


more  apt  to  become  infected  with  disease  germs  and  they 
require  quite  different  treatment  from  the  free  and  easy 
methods  that  are  permissible  on  sandy  soils. 

Regardless  of  where  the  houses  are  'located,  good 
drainage  is  essential.  There  is  no  possible  excuse  for 
building  where  surface  water  can  obtain  access  to  the 


must  be  suitably  protected  against  the  heavy  storms  that 
occasionally  come   from   that   quarter. 

All  such  considerations  as  these  should,  of  course, 
receive  attention  in  the  original  selection  of  the  land  on 
which  the  poultry  plant  is  to  be  located.  The  position  of 
the  buildings  themselves  is,  for  the  most  part,  determined 


floor,  or  for  locating  the  house  in  a  place  where  standing      by  considerations  of  convenience  and  of  economy  in  labor 
water  is  present.     If  the  desired  location  is  low,  it  should      and   time. 
be  filled  in  and  raised  at  least  a  foot  above  its  surround- 
in^s.      In    damp    locations    a    board    floor    three    or    more 
teet  above  the  ground  is  especially  desirable,  but  do  not 


Intensive  or  Extensive  Methods 


The  amount  of  land  required  for  developing  a  profit- 
able poultry  plant  depends  upon  whether  the  plant  is  to 

floor   an    excuse    for   building   over   a      be  operated  on   the  intensive  or  the  extensive  plan;  that 
rlu^l'r  !!"'!  ?!fr^U"h!a  thful      *  "h^  *'  *>^  «  *  ^  confined  to  comparatively- 


and  will  certainly  result  in  disease  and  heavy  losses. 

In  the  north  every  natural  feature  that  will  serve  the 
purpose  of  a  windbreak  should  be  utilized  to  the  fullest 
possible  extent.  A  poultry  plant  or  an  individual  house 


close  quarters  or  are  to  have  practically  free  range.  One- 
to  two  thousand  hens  may  be  kept  on  one  acre  of  ground,, 
but  the  labor  of  caring  for  them  is  much  greater  than' 
where  more  room  is  provided,  and  the  danger  frorm 


200 


C; 


V 


C; 


7? 


C.     C- 

Jfanqe   w/tA   Colony  Houses 

C    €> 


4        O 


,-*• 

1  _  T" 


FIG.  2 — PRACTICAL  GROUND  PLAN  FOR  A  LARGE  COMMERCIAL  POULTRY  PLANT 

In  the  proportions  here  indicated  this  plan  calls  for  about  10  acres,  but  it  can  readily  be  expanded  or  reduced  to 
meet  individual  requirements,  without  any  material  change  in  arrangement  of  departments.  This  sketch  is  drawn  to 
scale,  except  the  range,  which  is  reduced  at  broken  lines  to  keep  within  page  limits.  Chick  nursery  and  home  garden 
are  to  be  alternated  to  keep  the  soil  free  from  disease  germs.  Yards  and  pens  are  planned  for  100-hen  flocks  but  if  Leg- 
horns are  kept  the  flocks  probably  will  be  much  larger  and  most  of  the  division  fences  omitted.  The  orchard  on  the 
ri^ht  side  affords  ideal  quarters  for  breeding  fowls  and  brooder  chicks  confined  to  temporary  yards  when  necessary. 
When  the  chicks  are  able  to  look  out  for  themselves  they  are  to  be  transferred  to  the  larger  ranse  in  the  rear. 


LOCATING   AND   PLANNING   POULTRY   HOUSES 


disease  is  much  greater.  Wherever  it  is  possible,  land 
enough  should  be  provided  so  that  the  fowls  will  not  have 
to  be  crowded,  and  so  that  other  crops  can  be  grown  on 
the  land  at  the  same  time.  It  is  much  more  practical, 
more  profitable,  and  far  safer  to  provide  ample  acreage, 
utilizing  the  valuable  fertilizer  produced  by  the  fowls  in 
the  growing  of  profitable  crops  of  some  sort.  Intensive 
poultry  keeping  involves  the  supplying  of  green  food  by 
hand  practically  the  year  round;  it  also  necessitates 
sweeping  and  cleaning  the  yards,  constant  and  lavish  use 
of  disinfectants,  and  after  all  this  is  done,  there  still  is 
great  danger  of  soil  contamination  and  the  spread  of 
various  forms  of  disease. 

Such  factors  as  the  price  of  land,  the  extra  labor  cost 
of  widely  scattered  flocks  and  other  practical  considera- 
tions, must  all  receive  due  attention  in  this  connection, 
and  the  question  of  method  can,  in  the  last  analysis,  be 
answered  only  by  each  individual  for  himself.  It  will  be 
helpful,  however,  to  know  that  the  general  tendency 
among  practical  poultry  keepers  is  toward  a  combination 
of  intensive  and  extensive  methods  as  suggested  in  the 
layout  on  page  8,  or  the  one  on  page  11.  In  other 
words,  the  laying  flock  is  kept  in  comparatively  restrict- 
ed quarters,  while  the  breeders  and  the  growing  stock  are 
given  all  the  room  possible.  Estimating  land  require- 
ments on  this  basis,  10  acres  is  little  enough  for  1,000 
hens,  and  15  acres  is  decidedly  better.  The  estimate  of 
10  acres  is  on  the  assumption  that  the  soil  is  sandy  and 
well  drained.  With  heavier  soil  the  acreage  certainly 
should  be -increased. 

Planning  To  Save  Labor 

No  poultry  plant  can  lay  claim  to  being  wisely 
planned,  in  which  the  labor  problem  has  not  received 
most  careful  study,  and  the  cause  of  failure,  in  a  great 
many  instances,  can  be  traced  directly  to  unfortunate 
oversights  along  this  line.  In  planning  the  layout  and 
locating  the  buildings,  therefore,  the  first  consideration 
should  be  to  secure  every  possible  advantage  to  the  at- 
tendant, in  order  to  reduce  the  amount  of  travel  involved 
in  the  daily  care  of  the  fowls,  and  to  utilize  natural  re- 
sources, such  as  range,  shade,  water  courses,  etc  ,  to  the 
fullest  possible  extent.  As  local  conditions  enter  largely 
into  these  matters,  no  hard  and  fast  rules  can  be  laid 
down,  but  the  principal  features  of  the  ideal  poultry 
plans  illustrated  on  page  8  will  be  found  adaptable  to 
a  great  variety  of  locations.  It  is,  therefore,  worthy  of 
close  study. 

Y\  hile  this  layout  is  designed  to  meet  the  require- 
ments of  a  "1,000-hen  farm,"  it  can,  without  material 
change,  be  expanded  to  meet  the  demands  of  a  much 
larger  plant,  or  reduced  to  the  modest  proportions  of  a 
poultry  department  to  be  operated  as  a  side  line  on  a 
farm  or  elsewhere. 

As  here  illustrated,  it  has  a  frontage  of  about  500  feet 
and  should  have  a  depth  of  about  850  feet,  the  rear  por 
tion  being  reduced  for  lack  of  space.  These  dimen- 
sions give  approximately  10  acres  and  provide  for  a  lay- 
ing flock  of  900  hens,  also  for  the  necessary  breeding 
stock,  which  should  always  be  housed  separately  from  the 
laying  flock  and  given  much  more  range  than  it  usually 
is  practicable  to  provide  for  the  latter.  Nursery  space 
is  provided  for  the  brooder  chicks,  range  for  growing 
stock,  and  abundant  ground  for  supplying  the  house  table 
with  fruits  and  vegetables.  The  west  side  of  the  plot, 
from  the  driveway  back  at  least  as  far  as  the  north  end 
of  the  yards,  should  have  a  row  of  quick-growing  ever- 
green trees  to  act  as  a  windbreak. 


This  plan  of  locating  buildings,  yards,  etc.,  offers 
many  important  advantages,  such  as  easy  access  to  the 
different  buildings,  limited  fencing,  few  gates  to  open, 
and  a  comparatively  limited  amount  of  traveling  in  the 
daily  care  of  the  birds. 

In  this  layout,  as  in  every  practical  plant,  the  poul- 
tryman's  residence  is  taken  as  the  center,  the  different 
departments  of  the  work  being  located  and  planned  with 
reference  to  distance  from  the  residence  and  convenience 
of  access  therefrom. 

A  tolerably  liberal  allowance  for  lawn  has  been  made, 
because  a  well-kept  lawn  adds  much  to  the  attractiveness 
of  the  home  and  to  enjoyment  of  it.  Moreover,  the  lawn 
need  not  be  waste  land,  but  can  be  utilized  for  the  young 
chicks  throughout  the  brooding  season.  Neat  outdoor 
brooders,  hen  coops,  or  even  colony  houses  around  the 
edge  of  the  lawn,  detract  little  from  its  beauty,  and  a 
smooth,  evenly  mowed  grass  plot  provides  ideal  range  for 
chicks  during  the  first  few  weeks  of  their  lives. 

With  light,  sandy  soil  it  is  practicable  to  raise  chicks, 
year  after  year,  on  the  same  plot  of  ground,  without 
danger  from  gapes  or  other  chick  diseases.  In  most 
instances,  however,  the  poultiyman  will  find  that  much 
better  results  can  be  secured  if  his  chicks  are  not  brooded 
more  than  two  years  in  succession  on  the  same  ground. 
In  this  diagram,  therefore,  two  plots  of  equal  size  have 
been  set  aside,  one  of  which  is  to  be  used  as  a  chick 
nursery  and  the  other  as  a  kitchen  garden,  alternating 
them  every  two  or  three  years,  or  as  conditions  require. 
A  sod  or  permanent  growing  crop  of  some  sort  is  desir- 
able on  the  plot  used  by  the  chicks,  and  with  a  little  at- 
tention this  may  readily  be  secured,  seeding  the  ground 
with  a  quick-growing  lawn  grass  mixture,  or  with  scarlet 
clover,  alfalfa,  oats,  rye,  rape,  etc.,  as  season  and  climate 
may  dictate. 

At  the  rear  of  the  lawn  is  located  the  barn,  which 
should  be  of  good  size,  as  it  is  intended  to  furnish  room 
for  storage  of  feed,  litter,  etc.  Being  within  easy  access 
of  all  the  houses,  little  labor  is  required  in  distributing 
supplies  from  here  as  needed.  Except  on  large  plants, 
the  plan  of  using  a  centrally  located  barn  for  general 
feed  storage  will  be  found  more  satisfactory  and  more 
economical  than  building  a  separate  feed  house,  it  being 
understood  that  each  poultry  house  is  to  be  provided 
with  suitable  bins,  boxes  or  metal  containers  for  storing 
small  quantities  of  grain  for  immediate  use. 

If  dressed  market  fowls  are  to  form  an  important 
branch  of  production,  a  suitable  room  for  dressing  and 
packing  them  should  be  provided  in  the  basement  of  the 
barn,  where  the  incubator  cellar  also  can  conveniently 
be  located,  if  provision  is  not  made  for  the  incubators 
in  the  house  cellar  or  in  a  separate  house  such  as  the 
one  illustrated  and  described  in  Chapter  VIII. 

On  the  east  side  of  the  rear  lawn'  may  be  located 
a  permanent  brooder  house.  Even  where  most  of  the 
chicks  are  to  be  raised  in  outdoor  brooders  or  colony 
houses,  a  small  permanent  brooder  house  will  be  found 
convenient.  Early  hatched  chicks  can  be  brooded  more 
conveniently  and  with  less  expense  in  a  permanent  house 
than  in  scattered  colony  houses.  When  the  house  is  not 
needed  for  chicks,  it  may  be  utilized  for  many  other  pur- 
poses, being  especially  convenient  for  fattening  surplus 
market  birds,  conditioning  show  specimens,  or  for  any 
of  the  various  other  purposes  for  which  temporary  ac- 
commodations are  required  at  more  or  less  frequent  in- 
tervals the  year  around. 

Next  to  the  brooder  house  is  located  the  home  fruit 
garden,  which,  in  the  dimensions  indicated,  will  furnish 
room  for  such  small  fruits  as  strawberries,  raspberries. 


10 


POULTRY  HOUSES  AND  FIXTURES 


blackberries,  grapes,   etc.,   in   sufficient   quantities   for  the 
use  of  the  average  family. 

Location   of   Houses  for  Adult   Fowls 

On  the  west  side  of  the  barn  and  a  little  back  of  it, 
reached  by  a  continuation  of  the  driveway  which  leads 
in  from  the  street  or  highway,  is  located  the  main  laying 
house.  This  house  consists  of  nine  pens,  each  20x20  feet, 
with  a  capacity  of  about  100  hens,  or  125,  if  Leghorns  are 
kept.  In  the  latter  case,  alternate  partitions  in  house 
and  yard  may  be  omitted  and  the  size  of  the  flocks  cor- 
respondingly increased  and  some  expense  saved.  Double 
yards  are  indicated  for  each  laying  pen.  These  yards  are 
to  be  used  alternately  by  the  flocks,  the  vacant  ones  be- 
ing planted  to  some  quick-growing  crop  to  provide  green 
food.  By  shifting  the  hens  back  and  forth,  the  growing 
crop  (whatever  it  may  be)  will  have  an  opportunity  to 
renew  itself,  and  an  abundant  supply  of  green  food  is  in- 
sured during  the  greater  part  of  the  year,  at  practically 
no  cost. 

Fruit  trees  should,  of  course,  be  planted  in  these 
yards,  if  there  is  no  other  shade,  planting  in  triangles  in- 
stead of  squares,  making  the  rows  forty  feet  apart  east 
and  west,  and  thirty  feet  north  and  south.  If  desired, 
these  rows  can  be  double-planted  with  peach  or  other 
quick-growing  trees.  The  amount  of  yard  room  may 
appear  rather  limited,  but  with  double  yards  less  room  is 
required  than  would  be  needed  where  single  yards  are 
provided.  On  the  subject  of  yard  room  for  laying  flocks, 
see  Chapter  XI. 

The  plot  north  of  the  barn  and  east  of  the  laying 
house  can  be  utilized  to  best  advantage  for  colonized 
breeding  pens,  or  as  range  for  the  growing  chicks  after 
they  no  longer  requ're  artificial  heat.  This  plot  also 
should  be  planted  to  fruit  trees. 

Back  of  the  laying  yards  and  the  breeding  range,  the 
land  will  be  used  for  any  crops  that  may  be  desirable, 
keeping  in  mind  that  this  land  is  to  serve  as  a  range  for 
growing  stock,  especially  the  pullets  that  are  to  be  next 
season's  layers  and  which,  at  this  stage  of  their  growth, 
need  all  the  liberty  that  can  be  given  them. 

In  the  corner  of  the  lawn  between  the  barn  and  the 
brooder  house  is  located  the  hospital  building.  It  is 
quite  the  fashion  these  times  to  advocate  the  indiscrimi- 
nate use  of  the  hatchet  for  sick  fowls,  but  the  poultry- 
man  who  is  anxious  to  conduct  his  business  along  really 
practical  lines,  will  find  that  he  can  save  a  large  sum  each 


year  by  the  timely  use  of  suitable  remedies,  for  adminis- 
tering which  a  separate  hospital  building  is  needed.  With 
a  little  prompt  attention,  fowls  having  various  simple  dis- 
orders or  suffering  from  accidents,  can  quickly  be  restored 
to  health,  and  with  slight  trouble.  Of  course,  no  practical 
poultryman  will  return  to  his  breeding  flock  any  birds 
that  have  been  sick,  nor  will  he  keep  any  that  have  con- 
tagious disease  in  any  form.  But  fowls  that  have  suffered 
from  simple  attacks  of  indigestion  or  some  other  similar 
ailment,  can  at  least  be  held  until  in  suitable  condition 
to  be  sent  to  market.  It  is  safe  to  say  that,  on  the  aver- 
age, three  out  of  four  sick  fowls  that  are  allowed  to  die 
or  are  dispatched  by  the  hatchet,  could  be  restored  to 
health  if  they  received  proper  treatment  in  time. 

A  Layout  for  a  One-Man  Poultry  Farm 

In  Fig.  4  is  shown  another  layout  for  a  poultry 
plant.  This  has  been  prepared  by  the  Massachusetts  Ag- 
ricultural College,  and  is  intended  to  meet  the  require- 
ments of  a  "one-man,  ten-acre  poultry  farm."  It  is  de- 
scribed as  follows:  "This  plan  is  especially  designed  for 
a  farm  sloping  to  the  south  or  to  the  southeast.  A  row 
of  large  evergreens  to  serve  as  a  windbreak  is  indicated 
as  surrounding  the  farm,  except  on  the  south  side,  and  a 
row  is  placed  north  of  the  laying  house  to  furnish  shade 
to  young  stock.  The  orchard  consists  of  two  and  a  half 
acres  and  is  to  be  cultivated.  It  is  intended  to  serve  regu- 
larly as  a  brooding  plot  for  late-hatched  chicks  and  also 
as  a  run  for  the  breeders  during  at  least  a  part  of  the 
year.  The  portion  labeled  'breeding  department'  is  to  be 
used  for  this  purpose  early  in  the  season.  The  farm 
crops  are  to  be  alternated,  the  rotation  being  corn  and 
poultry  one  year,  and  hay  or  pasturage  the  next. 

"Utilizing  the  cornfield  as  a  run  for  growing  stock,  is 
an  excellent  plan,  as  it  furnishes  shade  and  green  food 
and  protection,  with  plenty  of  loose  soil  for  scratching. 
The  plot  at  the  rear  of  the  farm  between  the  hay  and 
corn  is  for  the  production  of  succulent  food  for  fall  and 
winter  use. 

"The  barn  recommended  for  use  on  this  plant  is  28x 
36  feet,  one  and  a  half  stones  high,  and  is  intended  to  ac- 
commodate one  horse,  one  cow,  a  shop,  a  feed  room  and 
room  for  killing,  picking,  and  packing  market  fowls,  and 
suitable  tools  and  machinery.  This  plant  is  designed  to 
accommodate  550  layers,  four  or  five  breeding  pens,  and 
to  raise  eight  hundred  to  one  thousand  chicks. 

"Five  hundred  and  fifty  laying  hens  may  appear  to  be 


PIG.  3— A  GROWING  ORCHARD  AFFORDS  FINE  SUMMER  RANGE  FOR  FOWLS 
Photo  from  Missouri   State   Poultry  Experiment  Station. 


LOCATING   AND   PLANNING   POULTRY   HOUSES 


11 


a  rather  small  flock  for  one  man  to  care  for,  but  taken  in 
connection  with  the  growing  of  the  young  stock  and  the 
production  of  the  various  crops  that  can  be  produced  on 
this  land,  will  keep  one  man  decidedly  busy  practically 
the  year  around  and,  with  proper  management,  will  pro- 
vide a  safe,  comfortable  living." 

Details  of  Poultry  House  Design  and 
Construction 

The  general  rule  applied  to  the  construction  of  live- 
stock buildings  calls  for  one  cubic  foot  of  air  space  for 
each  pound  of  live  weight  to  be  housed.  This  means  that, 
for  a  six-pound  fowl,  only  six  cubic  feet  of  air  space  are 
required,  which  would  be  provided  in 
a  house  18  inches  high,  allowing  four 
square  feet  of  floor  space  to  each 
fowl.  This  way  of  stating  air  re- 
quirements is  a  little  misleading, 
however,  as  fowls  need  much  more 
air  than  other  classes  of  live  stock, 
in  proportion  to  their  weight.  Prof. 
King,  in  "Physics  of  Agriculture/' 
gives  the  following  table,  showing 
the  average  number  of  cubic  feet  of 
air  breathed  per  hour  by  common 
farm  animals: 

Cow  2804  cu.  ft.  for  each  1,000  Ibs. 
Horse  3401  cu.  ft.  for  each  1,000  Ibs. 
Swine  7353  cu.  ft.  for  each  1,000  Ibs. 
Sheep  7259  cu.  ft.  for  each  1,000  Ibs. 
Hen  8278  cu.  ft.  for  each  1,000  Ibs. 

The  greater  amount  of  air  neces- 
sary to  meet  the  fowls'  requirements 
must  be  secured  'either  by  providing 
for  more  rapid  exchange  of  air  in  the 
house,  or  by  increasing  its  cubic  con- 
tents considerably  beyond  the  dimen- 
sions called  for  in  the  general  rule. 
In  ordinary  poultry  buildings,  how- 
ever, all  air  requirements  are  not 
only  met  but  generally  are  much  ex- 
ceeded, as  will  readily  be  seen  by 
estimating  the  number  of  cubic  feet 
in  the  average  laying  house  with  its 
7  to  9-foot  ceiling.  This  excess  vol- 
ume of  air  is  of  no  real  advantage  to 
the  fowls,  and  in  cold  weather  is  a 
handicap  to  them.  For  this  reason 
many  attempts  have  been  made  to 

utilize  extremely  low  houses,  and  repeated  proof  has  been 
secured  that,  so  far  as  the  fowls  themselves  are  concerned, 
they  can  be  kept  quite  successfully  in  buildings  no  more 
than  two  feet  high. 

In    practical    use,    however,    the    poultry    house   has    a 


be  warmed  to  some  extent  by  the  bodily  heat  of  the 
fowls,  thus  rendering  it  more  comfortable  in  cold  weath.er, 
while  a  high  ceiling  or  roof  wastes  heat,  causes  drafts, 
and  is  more  expensive  to  construct.  In  extremely  warm 
climates  high  ceilings  may  be  desirable  as  a  means  of 
making  the  building  cooler,  but  the  same  result  can  be 
secured  in  other  ways  and  at  less  expense. 

Cost  of  Building 

Under  average  conditions  the  cost  of  building  laying 
houses  should  not  exceed  $1.50  to  $2.00  per  hen,  yards 
and  labor  included.  With  careful  management  and  the 
use  of  low-cost  materials,  the  cost  may  be  kept  within 


' 


N 


UASGOLDS  . 


CABBAGE 


(V 


BREEDING   DEPARTMENT 


LAYIK3 


TEPT  . 


POULTRY 
AND 


CAREEN 


HAY 


ivJ 


O  O> 


G. 


Brooding.  &  Growing 

*)    U)   O)   CO 


s> 


FIG.    4 — PLAN    FOR   LAYING   OUT   A   ONE-MAN,    TEN-ACRE    POULTRY    FARM 
Designed   by  Poultry  Department,  Mass.  Agr.   College. 

$1.00.  Elaborate  houses  carry  with  them  no  advantage, 
aside  from  appearance.  Instead,  they  usually  develop 
disadvantages  which  do  not  exist  in  simple,  plain  con- 
struction. 

In    some    of   the    plans    in   this    book   the    reader   will 


double  function  to  perform.  It  must  not  only  give  suit-  find  alternative  methods  of  construction  indicated  or  sug- 
gested. What  may  be  called  the  regular  method  aims  at 
providing  a  substantial,  durable  building  at  moderate  ex- 
pense. The  "low-cost"  alternatives  suggested  show  how 
the  same  houses  can  be  built  at  the  lowest  practicable 
first  cost  where  the  strictest  economy  is  demanded. 

It  is  true  that  fowls  may  not  be  any  more  comforta- 
ble in  a  house  with  concrete  foundation  and  floor  and 
with  No.  1  tongue-and-groove  siding  neatly  painted, 
than  in  one  with  a  dirt  floor,  with  common  sheathing 
boards  covered  with  a  good  grade  of  roofing  paper.  With- 


protection  to  the  fowls,  but  it  is  just  as  important 
that  it  provide  for  the  convenience  of  the  attendant  and 
afford  necessary  facilities  for  economizing  his  time  and 
labor.  A  clear  appreciation  of  this  fact  will  prevent 
many  costly  experiments  and  errors  in  design,  and  it 
ought  also  to  aid  in  preventing  the  too-Common  tendency 
to  economize  in  cost  of  construction  by.  the  omission  of 
details  that  are  required  to  make  the  labor  of  the  at- 
tendant really  efficient. 

The    fact   that   height    of   roof   is    solely    for   the    con- 


venience of  the  attendant  does  not  make  it  an  unimport-      out   doubt,   however,  the  latter  style  of  construction  will 


ant  matter,  but  there  are  obvious  reasons  why  the  house 
should  be  built  as  low  as  practicable.     A  low  house  will 


prove  much  more  expensive  than  the  former  in  a  period 
of  ten  years,  because  of  the  greater  amount  of  labor  in- 


12 


POULTRY  HOUSES  AND  FIXTURES 


volved    in    cleaning   and    renewing   the    dirt    floor,    and    in 
the  increased  cost  of  repairs  in  the  building  itself. 

The  man  who  is  limited  in  capital  is  far  too  liable 
to  make  the  common  mistake  of  building  "makeshift" 
structures.  There  are  many  conditions  under  which  low 
cost  of  construction  is  practical  and  genuinely  economical, 
but  let  all  cost  reductions  be  carefully  considered  to  make 
sure  that  they  are  genuine  economies  and  not  the  pound 
foolishness  of  penny  wisdom. 


FIG.    5— CORRECT  WAY  TO  DRAIN  HOUSE   SITE   ON 
SLOPING   GROUND 


What  Materials  to  Use 

The  kind  of  materials  to  be  used  will  be  decided  en- 
tirely by  relative  cost,  in  most  cases.  Almost  any  kind 
of  sound  lumber  can  be  used  to  good  advantage  in  the 
poultry  house,  though  it  is  well  to  keep  in  mind  that  the 
labor  cost  of  working  soft  woods  is  much  less  than  where 
hard  woods  are  employed.  It  does  not  pay  to  purchase 
inferior  material  where  inferiority  affects  durability,  or 
where  it  involves  serious  waste.  As  a  rule,  however, 
cheaper  grades  of  lumber  can  be  used  than  would  be 
advisable  in  larger  buildings,  especially  where  a  substan- 
tial concrete  foundation  is  provided  and  where  the  sides 
are  covered  with  prepared  roofing. 

Second-hand  material  sometimes  can  be  purchased  to 
good  advantage,  and  many  poultrymen  are  able  to  pro- 
vide accommodations  for  their  fowls  at  comparatively  lit- 
tle expense  by  utilizing  lumber  from  wrecked  buildings, 
railroad  cars,  etc.  Old  railroad  ties  frequently  can  be 
used  as  sills,  and  in  many  similar  ways  the  careful  buyer 
can  materially  reduce  his  lumber  bill.  In  making  such 
purchases,  however,  keep  in  mind  the  fact  that  it  costs 
a  good  deal  more  to  build  houses  with  second-hand  lum- 
ber than  with  new  lumber  that  can  be  purchased  to  exact 
size.  The  expense  of  getting  the  lumber  separated  and 
sorted,  removing  nails,  sawing  to  size,  and  the  resultant 
waste,  all  should  carefully  be  estimated  before  buying 
such  material. 

How  to  Order  Lumber 

In  planning  poultry  houses,  special  attention  should 
be  given  to  the  dimensions  of  lumber  as  obtainable  in  or- 
dinary lumber  yards.  It  would  be  unwise,  for  example, 
to  plan  a  house  15x25  feet,  under  ordinary  conditions,  as 
lumber  comes  in  even  lengths  and  there  would  be  con- 
siderable waste  in  cutting  timbers  to  fit  these  dimensions. 
A  house  16x24  feet  will  accommodate  the  same  number 
of  hens,  and  can  be  built  with  practically  no  waste  in 
cutting  the  framing  timbers  and  boards.  Where  the 
dimensions  are  in  odd  feet  but  in  short  lengths,  it  is 
possible  to  avoid  loss  by  ordering  double  lengths.  For 
example,  in  the  case  of  a  shed-roof  building  seven  feet 
high  in  the  front,  five  feet  in  the  rear,  and  ten  feet  wide, 
fourteen-foot  studding  should  be  ordered  for  the  front 
wall,  ten-foot  studding  for  the  rear  wall,  and  fourteen- 


foot  pieces  for  the  ends,  each  piece  making  two  studs. 
The  rafters  will  have  to  be  twelve  feet  long,  though 
eleven  would  answer.  In  this  case  it  would  -not  pay  to 
order  double  lengths  of  twenty-two  feet,  as  the  price  of 
timbers  per  foot,  board  measure,  generally  advances  with 
lengths  exceeding  sixteen  feet,  and  this  advance  would 
exceed  the  saving  in  waste. 

In  the  preparation  of  bills  of  materials  for  the  plans 
shown    in    this    book,    the    particular   grade   of   lumber    to 
.  be  used  is  not  specified,  as  much  will  depend 
on   local   markets   and  the  preferences   of  the 
builder.      For   permanent   buildings   the   grade 
known  as  No.  1  common  will  usually  be  speci- 
fied for  rafters,  sills  and  joists,  and  No.  2  for 
studs  and  plates.     For  trim  lumber  and  siding 
No.  1  common  will  do,  unless  it  is  to  be  cov- 
ered with  roofing  paper  or  shingles,  in  which 
case   No.  2  common  may  be   used.     For  sub- 
floors  and  roof  sheathing  No.  2  common  will 
answer.     Sheathing  boards  for  the  roof  should 
be  surfaced  on  two  sides;  trim  lumber  should 
—  be  No.  1  common  and  surfaced  on  four  sides. 
Where    the    surfacing    must    be     done    to 
order,  and  at  extra  cost,  it  may  not  be  prac- 
tical  to   insist   on   this   in   all   cases,   but  as   it 
often  is  desirable  to  reverse  boards  in  order  to  cut  them 
to  good  advantage  and  to  hide  minor  defects,  it  is  desir- 
able to  have  exposed  boards  surfaced  on  all  sides  if  pos- 
sible.    Inside  walls  can  be  painted  or  whitewashed  at  less 
expense  if  smooth,  and  prepared  roofing  will  last  longer 
when  laid  on  a  smooth   surface. 

Dimensions  of  the  Laying  House 
In  planning  the  laying  house,  about  four  square-  feet 
of  floor  space  is  required  for  a  hen,  where  flocks  of  one 
hundred  or  thereabouts  are  provided  for.  In  mild  climates 
where  the  hens  do  not  have  to  be  confined  to  the  house 
for  long  periods,  an  allowance  of  three  feet  per  fowl  will 
prove  sufficient.  If  the  flock  is  quite  small,  five  square 
feet  should  be  provided,  and  in  the  case  of  breeding  stock, 
six  to  eight  feet  per  fowl  is  recommended. 

The  height  of  the  front  must  be  proportioned  to  the 
depth  in  order  to  get  sufficient  pitch  to  shed  rain,  also 
to  admit  sunlight  to  the  back  part.  The  latter,  however, 
is  not  regarded 
so  essential  as  it 
was  a  few  years 
ago,  and  many 
practical  poultry- 
men  now  are 
building  houses 
16  to  24  feet 
wide  with  what 
is  known  as  a 
combination  roof 
(see  Fig.  23). 
in  which  the 
front  is  seldom 
more  than  about  FIG'  "-SQUARING  A  CORNER 

seven  feet  high.  Obviously,  this  will  not  admit  sunlight 
to  the  back  part  of  the  house,  even  though  the  openings 
are  carried  clear  up  to  the  rafters.  As  an  offset  to  this 
the  practice  of  installing  small  windows  in  the  rear  wall 
under  the  droppings  platform  is  becoming  popular  (see 
Fig.  37).  Such  windows,  while  they  do  not  admit 
direct  sunlight,  make  the  back  part  of  the  house  light 
and  more  attractive  to  the  fowls. 

The  extent  to  which  the  sun's  rays  will  be  admitted 
to  the  poultry  house  in  different  seasons  of  the  year,  with 


LOCATING  AND   PLANNING   POULTRY   HOUSES 


13 


windows  placed  4,  6  and  7  feet  high,  respectively,  is  clear- 
ly shown  in  Fig.  7,  on  this  page.  In  the  wintertime,  with 
the  window  4  feet  high,  direct  sunlight  will  never  reach 
farther  back  than  9  feet  from  the  front  (see  dotted  line). 
With  the  window  6  feet  high  it  will  penetrate  to  13^2 
feet  (see  line  of  dashes),  and  at  7  feet  it  will  reach  the 
rear  of  a  16-foot  house  (see  solid  line).  In  the  summer- 
time when  the  sun  is  higher  in  the  sky,  the  penetration 
will  be  much  less,  as  shown  by  the  second  series  of 
lines. 

It  should  be  understood  that  in  each  case  these  lines 
represent  extreme  penetration,  which  lasts  for  but  a  short 
time,  and  occurs  only  when  the  sun  is  rising  or   setting 
and  when  the  rays  have  comparatively  little  power.     Pro- 
vision   for    securing    direct    sunlight    on    all    parts    of   the 
pen  floor,  therefore,  is  practical  only  to  a  limited  extent, 
and   the   advantage   of  doing   so   probably  is    very   slight. 
It   is   much    more   practical    to   be    sure   that   the   window 
and   shutter  openings  are  placed  so  as  to  light  and  ven- 
tilate  the   house   properly   and   conveniently,   without   ex- 
posing the  fowls  to  diafts,  and  without  being  too  greatly 
exercised  over  the  theoret- 
ical advantages  of  "flooding 
the    house    with    sunshine." 
The  height  of  the  house, 
as    has    already    been    sug- 
gested,   is     determined 
chiefly     by     the     require- 
ments    of     the     attendant. 
The  rear  or  north  wall  sel- 
dom    need     be    more    than 
five    feet  high,  and    where 
prepared     roofing    is    used, 
the  front  need  not  be  over 
seven  or  seven  and    a    half 
feet,    up     to     a     width     of 
twelve  feet.    If  fourteen  to 
sixteen  feet  wide,  the  front    pIG    7_DIRECT  SUNLIGHT  IN 
should    be   eight    feet   high, 

where  a  shed  roof  is  provided,  and  about  nine  feet  with  a 
twenty-foot  house.  For  a  width  of  sixteen  feet  or  over, 
a  combination  roof  generally  is  recommended,  usually 
with  a  seven-foot  front  and  a  ridge  about  nine  feet  high. 

In  order  to  insure  a  dry  floor  it  should  be  six  inches 
to  one  foot  above  the  ground  level,  whether  it  is  of  earth 
or  concrete.  If  a  board  floor,  it  should  be  elevated  at 
least  one  foot  above  the  ground  level,  and  in  damp  loca- 
tions, three  feet  or  more.  When  the  house  is  built  on 
sloping  ground,  the  site  should  be  leveled,  with  a  ditch  on 
high  side,  to  drain  the  water  off  after  rains  (see  Fig.  5.) 

Squaring  the  Foundation 

In  squaring  the  foundation  the  method  shown  in  Fig. 
6  will  be  found  convenient  and  practical.  In  using  this 
method  three  stakes  (a,  a,  a)  are  driven  at  each  corner, 
about  one  foot  outside  of  where  the  permanent  wall  is  to 
be  located,  and  about  three  feet  apart,  connecting  them 
at  the  top  with  strips  of  board  (b,  b)  about  four  inches 
wide,  after  which  a  cord  should  be  looped  around  small 
nails  (c.  c),  driven  into  the  boards,  as  indicated  in  draw- 
ing. The  points  at  which  the  cord  crosses  itself  repre- 
sents approximately  the  corners  of  the  .building. 

Now,  taking  one  corner  as  a  trial  corner,  measure 
from  the  point  where  the  cords  cross  (d).to  a  distance  of 
six  feet  on  one  side  (e)  and  eight  feet  on  the  other  (f). 
With  these  two  dimensions  secured  the  corner  will  be 
exactly  square  when  the  distance  between  the  points  e 
and  f,  measuring  diagonally,  is  just  ten  feet.  If  the  diag- 
onal line  does  not  measure  exactly  ten  feet,  change  the 


position  of  the  nails  holding  the  cord  until  the  correct 
measurement  is  secured.  With  one  corner  established  in 
this  way,  it  is  an  easy  matter  to  square  up  the  others  in 
a  similar  manner.  The  corner  strips  should  remain  in 
position  until  the  frame  of  the  building  is  up,  so  that  no 
matter  how  many  times  the  cord  may  have  to  be  removed 
for  convenience  in  construction,  it  will  always  exactly  in- 
dicate the  corners  when  looped  over  the  nails. 

Concrete  Foundations 

The  foundation  of  the  poultry  house  should  be  sub- 
stantial and  well  made.  Only  in  the  cheapest  and  most 
temporary  structures  is  it  advisable  to  build  without  a 
foundation,  and  there  seldom  is  any  economy  in  setting 
the  house  on  wooden  posts.  If  it  is  not  desirable  to  pro- 
vide a  solid  concrete  foundation,  at  least  place  the  build- 
ing on  concrete  posts,  which  cost  but  little  more  than 
wood  and  are  practically  indestructible. 

Where  the  soil  is  firm,  the  simplest  and  easiest  way 
to  build  a  concrete  foundation  is  to  excavate  a  trench 
about  eight  inches  wide  and  deep  enough  to  extend  below 
the  frost  line,  filling  in  to  the  ground  level  with  concrete. 

Where     the     soil 
is    not    firm,     the 


Sun's  rays  from 

April  21st  to 

Sept.  21st 


Sun's  rays 
at  Dec.  21st 


trench      should 
be    wider    to    ad- 
mit  form  boards. 
Wherever    practi- 
cable   the    trench 
should     slope     to    the     lowest 
point,  from  which  a  line  of  tile 
may  be  laid  to  provide  outlet 
for    any    water    that    may    ac- 
cumulate within   or  under  the 
foundation    walls.     In     damp 
locations  it  is  a  good  plan  to 
lay    a     line    of    two-inch    tile 
underneath  the  foundation,  all 
THE   POULTRY  HOUSE          arQund  the  building.  or  to  put  a~ 

few  inches  of  coarse  broken  stone  in  the  bottom  of  the 
ditch,  starting  the  concrete  wall  on  top  of  this. 

WThere  field  stones  are  available,  dig  the  ditch  a  foot 
wide  and  fill  it  in  with  stone  to  a  few  inches  below  the 
ground  level,  on  top  of  which  an  eight-inch  concrete 
foundation  is  to  be  placed.  Under  ordinary  conditions  the 
foundation  should  extend  six  to  twelve  inches  above 
ground  level,  being  built  by  the  use  of  form  boards  spaced 
about  six  inches  apart.  See  Fig.  8.  Fig.  10  shows  an- 
other method  of  building  the  foundation  where  a  wide 
footing  is  desired. 

Where  stone  is  easily  secured,  foundations  of  this 
material  may  be  used  at  less  cost  than  concrete.  Stone 
walls  should  be  about  twelve  inches  wide,  and  should  be 
carried  down  to  the  frost-line,  and  underdrained  as  de- 
scribed for  concrete  foundations. 

If  wooden  foundations  are  desired,  cedar,  locust,  ca- 
talpa,  or  chestnut  posts  will  be  found  most  desirable. 
These  should  be  placed  at  least  two  to  three  feet  in  the 
ground,  and  spaced  not  over  eight  feet  apart.  All  woo  !en 
posts  should  be  treated  with  creosote  to  prevent  decay. 
There  are  few  conditions,  however,  under  which  it  is  de- 
sirable or  economical  to  use  wooden  posts.  If  a  solid 
stone  or  concrete  wall-  is  considered  too  expensive,  or  if 
the  building  is  to  have  a  board  floor  elevated  off  the 
ground  so  that  a  solid  foundation  wall  is  not  necessary. 
it  will  cost  little  if  any  more  to  provide  stone  or  concrete 
posts  than  wooden  ones. 

Where  wooden  foundations  are  used  with  earth 
floors,  it  is  common  practice  to  provide  subsills  of  2  by 


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FIG.    8 — CONSTRUCTION    OF    CON- 
CRETE   FOUNDATION 


6  or  2  by  8  planks.  These  are  sunk  into  the  ground  some- 
what less  than  their  entire  width  with  the  regular  sills 
resting  upon  them.  The  purpose  of  the  subsill  is  to  keep 
the  frame  sill  above  the  ground,  thus  protecting  it  from 
t — ,  r__i  decay  to  some  ex- 

tent, and  also  pre- 
venting rats  from 
WISHED  FL°°P.  obtaining  access  to 
the  building.  It 
serves  these  pur- 
poses only  imper- 
fectly at  best,  how- 
ever, and  in  prac- 
tical use  has  little 
to  recommend  it. 

Earth  Floors 

Earth  floors  are 
used  in  many  poul- 
try houses,  their 

chief  recommendation  being  that  they  are  inexpensive. 
Where  earth  floors  are  to  be  used,  the  house  should  have 
a  solid  concrete  foundation  if  possible,  carrying  it  up 
ten  to  twelve  inches  above  ground  level,  the  space  en- 
closed being  filled  in  nearly  to  the  sill. 

In  order  to  keep  the  earth  floor  dry  and  warm,  there 
should  be  a  layer  of  four  or  five  inches  of  gravel  or 
broken  stone  at  the  ground  level,  with  earth  filled  in  on 
top.  Where  such  floors  are  used  it  is  necessary  to  re- 
move all  soiled  mateiial  at  least  once  a  year,  and  replace 
it  with  fresh  earth  brought  in  from  outside,  a  laborious 
and  expensive  job.  Hens  confined  on  earth  floors  will 
soon  form  wallows  that  may  reach  to  a  depth  of  a  foot 
or  more,  and  it  is  extremelv  difficult  to  keep  the  surface 
of  the  floor  smooth  and  even — another  objection  to  this 
method  of  floor  construction. 

Clay  Floors 

Where  stiff  clay  is  available,  an  excellent  and  inex- 
pensive floor  can  be  made  by  filling  in  between  the  foun- 
dation walls  with  a  few  inches  of  broken  stone,  on  top 
of  which  is  spread  a  layer  of  two  or  three  inches  of  clay. 
This  should  be  wet  down  until  it  becomes  pasty,  and 
while  in  this  condition  should  be  thoroughly  tamped,  after 


FIG.   9— POULTRY  HOUSE  WITH  HARD 
CLAY   FLOOR 

which  it  is  smoothed  off  and  left  to  dry  undisturbed. 
When  dry,  this  layer  of  clay  will  be  very  hard,  and  if 
protected  from  moisture  and  not  undermined  by  rats,  will 
last  for  many  years  without  icnewal  or  repairs.  The 
house  shown  in  Fig.  9  is  provided  with  a  clay  floor 


which  has  been  in  use  many  years,  giving  complete  sat- 
isfaction. 

Concrete    Floors 

For  general  use  no  material  is  as  desirable  for  poul- 
try-house floors  as  concrete.  It  is  indestructible  when 
properly  made,  is  rat-proof,  easy  to  clean  and  sanitary 
and  is  dry  and  warm  when  properly  insulated. 

There  are  various  plans  for  constructing  concrete 
floors,  depending  upon  the  nature  of  the  materials  avail- 
able, but  under  most  conditions  the  method  shown  in 
Fig.  11  will  be  found  satisfactory.  Concrete  floors 
should  be  six  to  twelve  inches  above  ground  level,  de- 
pending upon  the  nature  of  the  soil.  In  sandy  or  gravel- 
ly locations,  six  inches  may  be  high  enough,  but  in  damp 
locations  or  on  heavy  soils,  it  is  better  to  have  the  sur- 
face of  the  floor  ten  or  twelve  inches  above  ground  level. 

Concrete   floors   should  always   be  insulated   to   avoid 
dampness.     As  a  rule,  a  layer  of  several  inches  of  gravel 
or   broken    stone   is    sufficient.      In   especially   damp   loca- 
tions it  is  advisable 
to     spread    one  -  ply 
tarred    paper   on  top  -j^/FIHISHEbFLoo^ 

of      the      stone      or     /"xyo"      3 ~ 

gravel    filling,    with  OUTSIDE  w™ -^     ,1" XT" INSIDE 

the  concrete  laid 
directly  on  this. 
Concrete  floors  for 
poultry  houses 
should  be  about 
two  and  one  -  half 
inches  thick,  with 
an  additional  half- 
inch  topping  of  sand 
and  cement. 

Where  cinders  are 
obtainable,  they  can 
be  used  in  place 

of    stone    or    gravel,    both    for    the    insulating    layer    an 
for    the    concrete    base.     A    concrete    floor    of   cinders    i 
not  as  strong  as  when  stone  is  used,  but  is  warmer.    DC 
not  use  fine  ashes  from  the  kitchen   stove  or  the   house 
furnace  for  this  purpose,  but  the  coarse  cinders  produced 
at  mills  and  factories  generally. 

In  laying  concrete  floors,  always  provide  expansion 
cracks  by  dividing  the  floor  into  suitable  sections  and 
cutting  through  with  a  trowel  or  other  instrument.  A 
common  practice  in  laying  floors  is  to  divide  the  surfac< 
into  squares,  and  lay  alternate  ones,  which  are  allowed 
to  set  before  the  remaining  ones  are  filled  in.  Whert 
this  is  done,  the  expansion  cracks  are  automatically  taken 
care  of.  See  Fig.  12. 

Do  not  attempt  to  economize  on  foundations  anc 
floors  by  skimping  in  the  thickness  of  the  material  or  tht 
percentage  of  cement,  thus  securing  a  surface  that  will 
crack  and  give  way  in  use.  Neither  is  it  wise  to  lay 
concrete  floor  unless  a  suitable  concrete  foundation  is 
provided  to  support  the  outer  edges  and  to  prevent  rats 
from  burrowing  underneath. 

Concrete   Slab    Floors 

A  simpler  method  of  providing  a  concrete  floor  for 
the  poultry  house  is  by  the  use  of  a  "concrete  slab."  The 
method  of  constructing  this  is  described  by  Prof.  F.  C. 
Elford,  Poultryman  for  the  Dominion  of  Canada,  as 
follows: 

"No  trenches  are  dug  for  the  foundations.  The  floor 
is  laid  upon  the  ground,  top  of  the  floor  being  from  10 
to  15  inches  above  the  surrounding  level.  To  form  a 


TRENCH 
<0"to/2"  HIDE. 


.FIG.   10 — CONCRETE  FOUNDATIO1 
WITH  WIDE  FOOTING 


LOCATING  AND   PLANNING   POULTRY   HOUSES 


15 


"slab,"  take  enough  boards  to  reach  around  the  outside 
of  the  building.  Boards  one  inch  thick  will  do,  and  as 
wide  as  the  height  of  the  floor  above  the  surface.  Set 
these  boards  on  edge  and  stake  them  in  position  so  that 
the  inside  of  the  boards  is  the  exact  size  of  the  house. 


rs^c     Floor 
f\—~^~Iarnsd    f^stftar 

rotten     Sfor>«    Of  Cinders. 


FIG.  11— CORRECT  METHOD  OP  LAYING  CONCRETE 

FLOOR 

Concrete  floor  laid  over  a  few  inches  of  well-tamped 
broken  stone  or  gravel  and  a  layer  of  tarred  paper,  will  be 
dry  and  comparatively  warm.  Note  method  of  anchoring; 
building  to  foundation  by  means  of  bolts. 

Level  the  top  edges,  and  nail  a  six-inch  board  lightly  to 
the  top  edge  so  that  it  will  project  in  over  the  floor. 
In  this  six-inch  strip  bore  holes  every  6  to  10  feet  to 
take  a  5^-inch  bolt.  These  bolts  are  for  the  purpose  of 
holding  the  sills  and  should'  extend  above  the  finished 
floor  far  enough  to  go  through  a  2x4  scantling  and  leave 
room  for  a  nut.  When  the  heads  of  these  bolts  become 
secured  in  the  concrete,  remove  the  six-inch  boards  that 
hold  the  bo'lts  in  position  so  that  the  straight  edge  can 
be  used  to  level  the  surface  of  the  floor. 

»"When  the  frame  is  leveled  and  secured,  the  stone 
may  be  filled  in.  This  could  have  been  dumped  on  the 
giound  before  with  less  trouble  except  that  it  might  in- 
terfere with  the  leveling  of  the  boards. 
Stone,  brick,  plaster  or  anything  of  a 
like  nature  should  be  used  to  fill  up  to 
about  two  inches  from  the  top  of  the 
floor.  In  filling  in,  there  should  be  sev- 
eral inches  left  around  the  inside  of  the 
frame  to  allow  for  concrete  being  placed 
there  to  form  the  outer  surface  of  the 
wall.  Fill  in  with  concrete  to  the  inside 
of  the  frame,  and  to  within  1/4  or  one 
inch  of  the  finished  floor  surface.  The 
finishing  coat  of  cement  is  then  put  on, 
leveled  with  the  straight  edge  to  the 
top  of  the  frame  or  retaining  boards, 
and  smoothed  off  with  a  trowel."  * 

Board   Floors 

Board  floors  are  used  by  many  and 
are  satisfactory,  especially  where  it  is 
desired  to  have  the  floors  elevated  above 
the  ground  level.  Board  floors  should 
always  be  elevated  above  the  ground  at 
least  enough  to  allow  the  air  to  circu- 
late underneath,  in  order  to  insure  dry- 
ness,  also  to  give  cats  and  dogs  access 
to  the  enclosed  space  which,  otherwise, 
is  certain  to  become  a  rat  harbor. 

It    is    a    decided    advantage,    in    damp 


closed  on  three  sides  with  regular  weatherboarding.  As 
be  less  than  three  feet  high,  and  preferably  five  feet,  as  in 
the  house  illustrated  on  page  52.  Where  the  floor  is  less 
the  house  illustrated  on  page  52.  WThere  the  floor  is  less 
than  three  feet  above  ground,  it  is  difficult  to  clean  out 
underneath,  as  should  always  be  done  at  regular  inter- 
vals. It  also  is  quite  inconvenient  when  the  hens  make 
their  nests  under  the  floor,  as  they  usually  insist  on 
doing.  For  these  reasons,  if  the  wooden  floor  is  raised 
only  a  short  distance  from  the  ground,  it  is  better  to 
enclose  the  space  and  keep  the  hens  out. 

Board  floors  are  liable  to  be  cold  and  drafty  .unless 
carefully  laid,  and  it  usually  will  be  found  best  to  double- 
board  them,  as  shown  in  Fig.  14,  with  a  layer  of  water- 
proofed building  paper  between  the  top  and  the  sub- 
floor.  The  latter  may  consist  of  the  cheapest  boards, 
though  large  knot  holes  and  decayed  spots  should  be  cut 
out  or  filled  in  with  sound  material,  or  covered  with 
pieces  of  sheet  iron  or  tin.  It  will  add  to  the  strength 
of  the  building  if  this  sub-floor  is  laid  diagonally.  The 
top  floor  should  always  consist  of  tongue-and-groove 
boards,  driven  up  tight  together  and  well  nailed.  Port- 
able houses  should  always  be  provided  with  double  board 
floors,  with  diagonal  sub-floors  which  brace  the  building 
and  prevent  its  being  racked  in  moving. 

Framing  the  Poultry  House 

There  are  various  ways  of  framing  the  sills  for  poul- 
try houses,  the  one  shown  in  Fig.  13  being  most  gener- 
ally used  with  board  floors.  In  such  cases  the  inside  sill 
will  be  notched  to  engage  corresponding  notches  in  the 
ends  of  the  joists.  A  simpler  plan,  and  one  that  calls 
for  less  sawing  and  is  just  as  good  for  practical  pur- 
poses, is  to  use  one  2x8  sill,  spiking  a  2x4  on  the  inside, 
along  the  lower  edge.  Notch  the  joists  so  that  they  will 
rest  on  the  2x4,  with  the  top  even  with  the  top  of  the 
2x8  sill. 


FIG.    12 — PROVIDING   EXPANSION  JOINTS  IN  CONCRETE   FLOOR   BY 

LAYING  ALTERNATE   SECTIONS 
Photo  from  Mo.  State  Poultry  Exp.  Station 


locations,    to    have    the    main     floor     raised    several    feet.  In  houses  with  solid  foundations  and  concrete  floors, 

Where  this  is  done,  the  foundation  of  the  building  usually  the  sill  is  of  comparatively  little  importance,  and  usually 

:onsists  of  concrete  or  stone  pillars,  set  about  eight  feet  consists  of  a  single  2x4,  or,  in  some  instances,  two  2x4s 

apart,  and  the   space  underneath  the  floor  is   tightly   en-  spiked  together.     Houses  with  concrete  floors  should  be 

*  Extract  from  Bulletin   87.  Canadian  Dept.   of  Agriculture.  anchored,    so    that    they    cannot    be    shifted    by    the   wind. 


16 


POULTRY  HOUSES  AND  FIXTURES 


For  this  purpose,  half-inch  bolts  should  be  set  in  the 
foundation  wall  at  intervals  of  about  ten  feet.  These  bolts 
should  be  about  one  foot  in  length,  with  washers  for 
both  ends.  The  bolts  should  be  embedded  in  the  con- 
crete, with  the  head  down,  and  the  threaded  end  extend- 
ing three  or  five  inches  above  the  top  of  the  foundation, 
depending  upon  whether  a  single  or  double  sill  is  to  be 
used.  This  method  of  anchoring  the  sill  is  Indicated  in 

Fig.  11.  The  joists 
in  board  floors 
should  always  be 
bridged  by  the  use 
of  diagonal  strips, 
as  shown  in  Fig. 
15,  which  stiffen 
the  floor  and  add 
greatly  to  its 
strength. 

Various  methods 
are  used  in  con- 
structing the  frame 
work.  It  is  possible 
to  frame  a  building 


FIG.    13 — FRAMING    SILLS    FOR 
BOARD   FLOOR 


very  cheaply,  especially  where  upright  boards  are  used  for 
the  walls.  Fig.  19  shows  a  cheap  but  practical  frame, 
consisting  of  a  single  2x4  sill,  single  studs  at  each  cor- 
ner, with  wall  studs  every  five  to  ten  feet  to  support  the 
top  plates  and  girders  or  stringers,  one  of  which  should 
always  be  provided  midway  between  sill  and  rafter  plate 
to  stiffen  the  walls  and  prevent  warping  of  the  boards 
used  for  siding.  Under  ordinary  conditions,  a  building 
constructed  in  this  way,  with  the  outside  covered  with  a 
good  grade  of  prepared  roofing,  will  answer,  though  it 
is  too  light  for  a  permanent  building  or  one  of  large  size. 
Where  tongue-and-grove  siding  is  to  be  used,  the 
method  of  framing  illustrated  in  Fig.  16  is  commonly 
employed,  the  wall  studs  being  spaced  two  feet  frorn 


FIG.  14— LAYING  A  DRAFT-PROOF  BOARD  FLOOR 

center  to  center.  Doubling  studs  at  corners,  doors,  and 
windows,  as  indicated  in  illustration,  is  customary  among 
carpenters,  but  rarely  is  necessary  in  poultry-house  fram- 
ing. The  horizontal  plate  shown  in  middle  of  back  wall 
is  to  support  the  rear  edge  of  droppings  platform. 

The  framing  of  a  house  wi.th  combination  roof  does 
not  differ  from  a  shed  roof  house  except  in  the  rafters. 


One  method  of  framing  these  is  shown  in  Fig.  17. 
The  plan  of  supporting  the  ridge  and  preventing  side- 
thrust  by  means  of  short  tie  pieces  should  prove  entirely 
satisfactory  with  houses  not  over  16  feet  wide,  but  where 
the  width  is  20  feet  -or  over,  especially  if  the  house  is 
a  long  one,  the  ties  should  reach  substantially  from  front 
to  rear  plate  to  give  strength,  or  they  may  be  entirely 
omitted  except  at  partitions,  and  a  girder-and-post  sup- 
port provided  instead,  as  in  cross  section  shown  in  Fig. 
73,  page  42. 

Constructing  the  Walls 

For  cold  climates,  also  for  permanent  buildings,  it 
will  be  found  more  satisfactory,  as  a  rule,  to  use  tongue- 
and-groove  siding,  which  makes  a  tight,  fairly  draft- 
proof  wall,  and  in  a  term  of  years  will  cost  less  for  up- 
keep. Only  under  extreme  conditions  need  the  walls  be 
ceiled. 

In  all  cases  where  a  double  wall  is  provided,  special 
attention  must  be  given  to  making  the  house  rat-proof, 
as  it  is  practically  impossible  to  dislodge  rats  after  they 
have  once  established  themselves  in  such  a  building.  If 
the  house  has  a  concrete  foundation,  and  the  first  few 
inches  of  the  walls  are  filled  in  with  concrete,  it  will  be 
impossible  for  the  rats  to  obtain  entrance. 

One  method  of    constructing    the    walls  of  a  poultry 


FIG.  15— BRIDGING  JOISTS  TO  STRENGTHEN  FLOOR 

house  is  shown  in  Fig.  18,  consisting  of  tongue-and- 
groove  siding  lined  with  paper,  held  in  place  with  strips. 
In  lining  a  new  building  the  paper  may  be  secured  with 
less  trouble  simply  by  tacking  it  to  the  outside  face  of 
the  studs  before  putting  on  the  siding.  This  construction 
is  practical  and  satisfactory  where  fowls  do  not  have  ac- 
cess to  the  paper.  Where  this  is  the  case,  no  matter  how 
carefully  it  is  nailed  on,  they  will  soon  tear  it  off. 

In  some  sections  the  poultry-house  wall  consists  of 
sheathing  boards'  covered  with  waterproofed  building 
paper,  over  which  shingles  are  nailed.  This  is  excelk>nt 
construction,  but  rather  expensive.  (See  Fig.  20.) 

With  most  of  the  buildings  illustrated  in  this  book 
there  is  no  necessity  for  bracing,  except  as  indicated  in 
special  cases.  However,  where  the  house  is  to  be  ex- 
posed to  severe  winds,  it  is  safer  to  put  braces  at 
all  corners,  and,  in  the  case  of  long  houses,  to  put  in  in- 
terior braces,  locating  them  at  partitions,  so  that  they 
will  not  be  in  the  way. 

Different  Types  of  Poultry  House  Roofs 

The  types  of  poultry-house  roofs  in  common  use  are 
shown  in  Fig.  23.  Choice  between  them  is  determined 
by  the  width  of  the  building,  the  use  to  which  it  is  to 
be  put,  and  the  personal  preference  of  the  builder  as  to 
appearance,  etc.  Shed  roofs  are  by  far  the  most  com- 
mon, with  gable  roofs  probably  second  in  popularity. 
Monitor  roofs  are  seldom  used  except  where  there  is  to 
be  a  passageway  through  the  middle  of  the  house  with 
pens  on  each  side.  The  combination  roof  is  employed 
mainly  on  wide  houses,  the  object  being  to  secure  suf- 
ficient pitch  with  minimum  height.  The  semi-monitor 
roof  provides  a  means  of  getting  direct  sunlight  into  the 
rear  of  the  house  in  combination  with  a  low  front. 
A-shaped  roofs  are  in  use  mainly  on  small  colony  houses. 
(See  Fig.  52.) 


LOCATING  AND   PLANNING   POULTRY    HOUSES 


17 


The  poultry-house  roof  must,  of  course,  be  water- 
tight, and  should  have  sufficient  pitch  to  carry  off  rain 
promptly.  A  common  mistake  made  by  amateurs  is  to 
provide  too  flat  a  roof.  In  such  cases  it  is  quite  difficult 
to  make  the  joints  entirely  watertight  without  the  lav- 
ish use  of  roofing  cement,  and  it  is  better  to  provide 
a  good  slope  in  order  to  make  certain  that  there  will  be 
no  trouble  from  this  cause. 

Under  ordinary  conditions  shed  roofs  are  cheapest 
and  most  practical  up  to  a  width  o/  about  sixteen  feet. 
Houses  sixteen  to  twenty  feet  in  width  can  be  built  with 
shed  roofs,  but  combination  roofs  are  generally  preferred 


FIG.    16 — A    SUBSTANTIAL,    FRAME    FOR    SHED- 
ROOF   HOUSE 

This  diagram  shows  in  detail  the  ordinary 
method  of  framing"  a  shed-roof  house  to  be  cov- 
ered with  tongue-and-groove  siding.  The  use  of 
double  timbers  for  sills,  plates  and  corner  studs  is 
optional.  Reproduced  from  Ohio  State  University 
Extension  Bulletin. 

for  wide  houses,  as  they  provide  sufficient  pitch  without 
making  the  front  excessively  high. 

Where  a  straw  loft  is  to  be  provided,  a  gable  roof  is 
most  satisfactory,  giving  it  approximately  one-third 
pitch.  By  one-third  pitch  is  meant  a  roof  in  which  the 
perpendicular  distance,  or  the  "rise"  from  the  top  platf 
to  the  ridge,  is  one-third  the  width  of  the  house.  For 
example,  one-third  pitch  in  a  building  twelve  feet  wide, 
would  call  for  a  ridge  four  feet  higher  than  the  top  plate. 
Shingles  should  not  be  used  where  the  pitch  is  less  than 
one-third.  Metal  roofs  are  seldom 
used,  as  they  do  not  last  long,  are  cold 
in  winter  and  hot  in  summer,  and  offer 
no  special  advantages. 

In  some  sections  of  the  country  it 
is  customary  to  use  unsurfaced  sheath- 
ing boards  for  the  roof,  but  the  prac- 
tice is  not  truly  economical.  Prepared 
roofing  will  wear  better  on  smooth 
surfaces;  moreover,  surfacing  reduces 
the  boards  practically  to  uniform  thick- 
ness, which  is  a  *  distinct  advantage. 
When  unsurfaced  boards  are  used 
there  often  are  sharp  corners  resulting 
from  joining  boards  of  unequal  thick- 
ness, which  will  quickly  cut  through 
the  best  of  roofing  fabric.  The  sheath- 
ing should  be  looked  over  carefully  be- 
fore the  roof  is  laid,  and  all  sharp  cor- 
ners  should  be  smoothed  off  with  a 
block  plane  if  the  trouble  cannot  be 


FIG.    17 — FRAMING    HOUSE    FOR    COMBINA- 
NATION   ROOF 

.Note  method  of  tying  front  and  rear  rafters  to 
prevent  spreading.  In  wide  buildings  many  pre- 
fer to  use  girders  under  the  ridge,  with  supporting 
posts.  Reproduced  from  Ohio  State  University 
Extension  Bulletin. 

corrected  in  any  other  way.  See  to  it  also,  that  there- 
are  no  nail  heads  sticking  up,  arid  cover  all  knot  holes 
and  weak  places  in  the  boards  with  pieces  of  tin.  In 
cold  climates  it  pays  to  use  T  &  G 
boards  for  sheathing,  as  the  open  cracks 
left  between  the  edges  of  unmatched 
boards  will  permit  serious  waste  of  heat. 

The  great  majority  of  poultrymen  use 
prepared  roofing,  and  this  material  is 
entirely  satisfactory  for  the  purpose,  if 
of  good  grade.  It  seldom  pays  to  use 
cheap  roofing,  especially  tarred  paper 
in  which  the  upper  or  weather  side  is 
liable  to  shrink  and  draw  away  from  the 
nails,  making  a  weak  place  in  the  roof 
and  causing  its  rapid  deterioration.  FIG.  18.  — PAPER 

There  are  various  methods  of  finish-  LINED  WALL 
ing  the  eaves  of  the  roof,  some  of  which  are  shown  in 
Figs.  21,  22,  24  and  34.  A  common  method  is  to  omit 
the  eaves  altogether,  as  in  Fig.  22,  simply  lapping  the 
roof  down  over  the  edges  all  around.  This  method  of 
construction  results  in  all  the  roof  water  running  down 
the  sides  of  the  building,  which  may  or  may  not  be  ob- 
jectionable. It  is  a  cheap  and  easy  method  and  makes 


FIG.   19 — PRACTICAL  METHOD  OF  LOW  COST  CONSTRUCTION. 


18 


the  upper  part  of  the  building  draft-proof, 
but  nothing  can  be  said  for  it  from  the 
standpoint  of  appearance. 

The  method  of  construction  shown  in 
Fig.  24,  in  which  the  rafter  is  cut  off 
square  with  the  plate — the  only  eave  pro- 
vided being  a  four  or  five-inch  projection 
of  the  roofing  boards — is  simple,  makes  a 
tight  joint  all  around  and  looks  better  than 
the  method  shown  in  Fig.  22.  Where  a 
wider  eave  is  desired,  the  plan  shown  in 
Fig.  21  is  satisfactory  and  can  be  secured 
with  the  minimum  of  labor  in  sawing  and 
fitting  the  rafters.  With  this  method  it  is 
necessary  to  notch  the  siding  boards  to 
secure  a  tight  joint  at  the  rafters.  In  some 
instances,  this  precaution  is  omitted  and 
the  space  between  the  top  plate  and  the 
roof  boards  is  left  open  for  ventilation,  but  this  practice 
is  not  to  be  recommended,  as  it  usually  means  a  cold, 
drafty  house  in  winter. 

A  convenient  way  of  providing  an  eave  for  a  water- 
shed without  extending  the  rafters  is  by  laying  a  double 


FIG.     20— COLONY    HOUSE    WITH    SHINGLED    WALLS 

layer  of  shingles  which  project  a  few  inches  beyond  the 
side  of  the  building.  If  the  sides  of  the  building  are  cov- 
ered with  prepared  roofing,  the  upper  edge  should  be 
lapped  over  onto  the  roof  sheathing  before  the  shingles 
are  laid,  thus  making  a  thoroughly  draft-proof  joint. 

No  provision  has  been  made  for  eave  troughs  or 
spouting  either  in  the  plans  or  bills  of  materials  pre- 
sented in  this  book.  It  is  highly  desirable  to  provide 
such,  however,  especially  along  the  fronts  of  permanent 
laying  and  brooder  houses.  When  this  is  done  the  fowls 
and  chicks  will  have  a  dry  strip  outdoors  in  rainy 
weather,  of  which  they  will  make  full  use.  When  this 
provision  is  neglected,  they  invariably  get  badly  soaked 
by  the  drip.  If  earth  is  graded  up  along  the  front  for 
any  reason,  as  in  the  case  of  a  house  located  on  sloping 


PIG.  23— DIFFERENT  TYPES  OF  POULTRY  HOUSE  ROOFS 

A,    shed    roof;    B,    combination    roof;    C,    gable;    D,    monitor;    E,    semi- 

monitor;  F,  A-shaped.     Reproduced  from  Farmers'   Bulletin  574, 

U.   S.   Department   of  Agriculture. 

ground  (see  Fig.  5),  the  eave  drip  will  soon  wash  the 
filling  away,  making  access  to  yard  doors  more  difficult 
from  the  outside,  and  may  weaken  the  foundation  or 
floor. 

Doors  and  Windows 

All  poultry-house  doors  should  be  of  ample  size  for 
ease  in  carrying  in  food,  litter,  etc.,  and  in  cleaning  out. 
If  the  house  consists  of  more  than  two  pens,  the  door 
should  be  wide  enough  to  admit  a  wheelbarrow.  Poultry- 
house  doors,  as  a  rule,  may  be  of  simple  construction, 
consisting  of  tongue-and-groove  boards  nailed  perpen- 
dicularly, with  a  batten  at  top  and  bottom  and  a  cross 
brace.  If  hung  to  swing  out,  .such  doors  may  be  made 
storm-proof  with  little  trouble.  See  Fig.  26. 

There  are  various  types  of  yard  doors  in  use,  one  of 
which  is  shown  in  Fig.  25.  This  door  slides  up  and 
down,  and  when  properly  constructed,  will  be  found  very 
satisfactory.  Some  will  prefer  to  have  these  doors  hinged 
to  open  on  the  side,  and  where  this  is  done  it  will  be 
more  convenient,  as  a  rule,  to  have  them  open  out  rather 
than  in. 

Where  passageways  are  provided,  it  is  desirable  to  be 
able  to  operate  the  yard  doors  from  the  passageway  by 
the  use  of  cords  and  pulleys,  in  which  case  the  door  shown 
in  Fig.  29  will  be  found  satisfactory.  This  door  is  hinged 
at  the  top  and  slopes  back,  so  that  when  released  it  will 
drop  into  place  by  its  own  weight.  It  seldom  is  possible 
to  arrange  tight-fitting  sliding  doors  that  will  not  stick 
in  wet  weather.  This  sloping  door,  however,  may  be 
made  fairly  tight  and  can  be  depended  upon  to  work  at 
all  times.  While  it  can  be  pushed  open  from  the  outside, 
it  is  not  at  all  likely  that  any  animal  will  do  so,  as  it 
bears  too  close  a  resemblance  to  a  trap. 

North  of  the  Ohio  River,  windows  are  desirable  in  all 
types  of  poultry-house  construction  and  should  be  prop- 
erly located  and  of  sufficient  size  to  furnish  ample  light 
and  ventilation.  A  simple  and  satisfactory  method  of 
framing  the  windows  is  shown  in  Fig.  28. 

The  bottom  of  the  sill  of  this  window  is  sixteen  inches 
from  the  floor  line,  which  is  a  satisfactory  height,  and  in 


FIG.  21— RAFTER  EXTENDED 
TO  FORM  EAVE 


EITHfiR 
/*f/»T£H£O  On  R°UGH  B°ft 

SIDIHO 
/VAY  SB  USED  WWEN  COVERED 


FIG.  22— A  ROOF  WITHOUT  EAVES 


FIG.  24 — RAFTER  CUT  FLUSH; 

EAVE  FORMED  BY  ROOF 

BOARD 


LOCATING  AND   PLANNING   POULTRY   HOUSES 


19 


all  cases  where  practicable,  a  two-sash  window  is  recom- 
mended, as  shown.  There  are  various  methods  of  plac- 
ing window  sash,  but  none  that  are  any  more  convenient 
or  practical  than  where  the.  upper  sash  is  hinged  to  the 
lower  so  that  it  can  readily  be  opened  for  additional  ven- 
tilation. 

No  special  framing  is  required,  aside  from  having 
two  studs  on  either  -side  of  the  window  and  allowing  the 
siding  to  extend  one  inch  beyond  the  studs.  The  lower 

.....         sash  of  the  window 
s-  is  held  tight  against 
siding 


FIG.    25 — SLIDING  YARD   DOOR 
This    illustration     shows    position 
of     door,     which    slides    in    grooves 
formed    by    siding,    studs,    and    one- 
inch    cleats. 


the  siding  by  a 
weather  strip,  and 
the  upper  sash  is 
held  in  place  by  a 
hook  or  wooden 
button.  The  lower 
rail  of  the  top  sash 

and  the  upper  rail  of  the  lower  sash  should  be  sloped  as 
shown,  in  order  to  make  a  water-tight  joint.  It  pays  to 
provide  a  substantial  sill  for  all  windows. 

Where  a  single  sash  is  used,  a  convenient  way  to  in- 
stall it  is  illustrated  in  Figs.  30  and  32,  the  latter 
showing  the  manner  in  which  the  sash  is  dropped  when 
the  window  is  to  be  opened.  The  sill  (A)  should  be 
high  enough  above  the  floor  to  permit  upper  sash  rail 
(F)  to  drop  below  inside  edge  of  sill.  B  is  a  weather 
strip  holding  bottom  of  sash  (E)  in  place  when  closed, 
while  C  holds  the  top  rail.  D  is  the  side  stud  to  which 

strip     G     is    nailed, 


c°f 


IT*"* 


»«,0 


leo- 

r 


ftnje 


the  purpose  of  the 
latter  being  to  hold 
sash  in  place  when 
it  is  opened. 

It  is  not  desir- 
able to  have  win- 
dows down  too  near 
the  floor.  If  low 
enough  to  let  the 
hens  see  out,  it  wijl 
make  them  restless 
when  they  must  be 
confined.  Low  win- 
dows also  tempt  the 
hens  to  huddle  in 
the  sunlight  in  front 
of  the  window,  thus 
exposing  them  to 
drafts. 

When  warm 
weather  comes  in 
the  spring,  the  win- 
dows should  be  re- 
moved entirely  in 
order  to  provide  ad- 
ditional ventilation. 
For  this  reason  the 
front  of  the  win- 
dow opening  should 
be  covered  with  54- 
inch  poultry  netting 
to  keep  the  fowls 
in  and  to  prevent 
sparrows  from  en- 
tering. If  sashes 


FIG.    26 — DETAIL   OF   DOOR 

FRAMING 

Poultry  house  doors  should  be  hung 
to  swing  out  and  not  in.  Door  illus- 
trated above  closes  tight  against  sill  with  large  panes  are 
and,  with  drip  cap  properly  installed  nrovided  the  inside 
over  the  top,  is  practically  storm-  ea'  T 

proof.  If  no  casing  is  used  around  the 
opening,  door  can  be  hung  flush 
with  siding. 


with  netting  in  order  to  avoid  breakage,  which  is  liable  to 
result  from  the  fowls  flying  up  against  the  windows. 

About  one  square  foot  of  glass  to  fifteen  square  feet 
of  floor  space  will  be  found  ample  for  lighting  the  poul- 
try house.  In  cold 
climates  it  may  be 
desirable  to  increase 
this  to  one  foot  in 
ten.  More  than  this 
is  not  advisable  un- 
der any  condition. 
Sufficient  light  is 
provided  by  the 
proportion  of  glass 
just  suggested,  and 
anything  in  excess 


/"  X  1" 

Sf-r-lf 

> 

ii 

li 

i 
c 

) 

1 

/"  > 

J"   S 

"<p 

... 

PIG.   27 — CONSTRUCTION   OP  YARD 

DOOR 

Door    is    built    up    of    4-inch    T    &    G 
boards,     with     edges    bound    by    1-inch 


f  -      .  «  UUCL1UO,  Wll.il  ^v*£>v*o  l^vy«l*^A  WJ         A       iil^»M 

or    this  is    not    only    cieats.     An    easier    but    less    attractive 
an    adHpd"    snnrrp    nf    method    is   to   nail    2-inch   cleats   across 

[  back  of  door  at  top  and  bottom, 
expense,  but  is  det- 
rimental, causing  irregular  temperatures.  On  bright  days 
the  large  amount  of  sunshine  admitted  makes  the  pens 
unnecessarily  warm,  while  at  night  the  heat  is  radiated 
rapidly,  creating  a  cold  house,  and  condensing  the  moist- 
ure in  the  building,  causing  dampness  or  "sweating." 
The  same  objection  applies  to  skylights.  Being  at  the 
highest  part  of  the  room  usually,  they  allow  warm  air 
to  escape,  and  in  warm  weather  make  the  house  hot; 
also,  they  almost  invariably  leak. 

In  the  case  of  houses  sixteen  feet  wide  or  more, 
windows  in  the  rear 
wall  under  the  drop- 
pings platform  are 
desirable.  They  light 
up  what  otherwise 
is  a  comparatively 
dark  section  of  the 
floor,  and  where 
they  are  provided 
the  troublesome  ten- 
dency of  the  litter 
to  work  back  to  the 
rear  of  the  room  is 
checked. 

Muslin  Shutters  and 
Curtains 

The  use  of  mus- 
lin shutters  for  ven- 
t  i  1  a  t  i  n  g  poultry 
houses  is  now  well- 
nigh  universal,  and 
no  better  method  is 
known.  With  the 
east,  west,  and  north 
walls  of  air  -  tight 
construction,  good- 
sized  openings  can 
be  provided  on  the 
south  side,  giving 
the  fowls  ventila- 
tion, sunlight,  etc., 
with  complete  pro- 
tection from  drafts. 
These  openings  are 
protected  by  mus- 


Scale:  r=r-o' 


of  the  window  also 
should    be     covered 


FIG.    28— CONSTRUCTION    OF 

WINDOW 

Sash  closes  tight  against  siding, 
which  overlaps  opening  one  inch  all 
lin  shutters  or  cur-  around,  making  a  tight  joint  and  re- 
tains to  hp  ringed  ducing  cost.  Where  the  sashes  come 
tams'  «  '  tog-ether,  bevel  the  edges  to  slope  out- 

in     stormy    weather    ward  and  make  water-tight  joint,  in- 
j  •   t*      TUT  stead  of  leaving  them  level  as  shown 

and   at   night.     Mus-    ln  illustration. 


20 


POULTRY  HOUSES  AND  FIXTURES 


FIG.   29— SELF-CLOSING 
YARD   DOOR 


lin  affords  fairly  good  ventilation  in  cold  weather,  though 
it  does  not  provide  for  a  very  rapid  exchange  of  air  in' 
.warm   weather  and  is  practically  air-tight   when   wet. 

In  order  to  get  the  best  results  with  curtain-front 
houses,  more  or  less  adjustment  of  the  curtains  or  shut- 
ters is  required.  Muslin 
retains  a  great  deal  of 
heat  when  the  sun  is 
shining,  even  when  the 
thermometer  is  very  low, 
for  which  reason  it  sel- 
dom is  necessary  to  keep 
the  shutters  or  curtains 
closed  on  sunshiny  days, 
even  in  the  coldest 
weather.  In  stormy 
weather  or  on  cold  nights, 
however,  there  usually 
will  be  sufficient  air  cir- 
culation with  the  shutters 
down,  and  in  such  cases 
there  is  nothing  whatever 
to  be  gained  by  leaving 
them  open. 

In  a  properly  constructed  house  there  is  little  danger 
of  fowls  being  injured  by  cold,  so  long  as  the  temperature 
does  not  drop  down  to  zero  or  below.  However,  the 
amount  of  cold  that  the  fowls  can  stand  without  injury, 
or  without  having  the  egg  yield  affected,  depends  largely 
upon  whether  or  not  they  have  been  properly  accustomed 
to  open-front  conditions. 

For  the  section  lying  between  the  Ohio  River  and 
the  Great  Lakes,  one  square  foot  of  muslin  to  ten  or 
twelve  feet  of  floor  space  generally  will  be  found  satis- 
factory for  laying  houses  that  are  constructed  as  directed 
in  this  book.  This  is  with  the  understanding  that  the 
shutters  or  curtains  will  be  left  open  all  the  time  in  warm 
weather,  and  when  the  sun  is  shining  even  in  winter 
weather,  so  long  as  the  temperature  does  not  drop  lower 
than  ten  to  fifteen  degrees  above  zero.  In 
stormy  weather  or  in  lower  temperatures,  the 
openings  must  be  closed. 

South  of  the  Ohio  River  it  is  safe  to  omit 
all  sash  and  increase  the  proportion  of  muslin- 
covered  openings  to  one  square  foot  to  eight 
of  floor  space.  Several  different  methods  of 
installing  fronts  have  been  tried  out,  but  noth- 
ing is  as  satisfactory  as  the  use  of  frames 
made  of  1x3  inch  strips,  and  hinged  at  the' top 
so  that  they  can  be  swung  up  inside  and  held 
out  of  the  way  by  means  of  hooks  and  eyes. 
These  frames,  being  of  rather  light  con- 
struction as  a  rule,  should  not  be  too  large. 
3x4,  4x4  or  4x6  feet  are  practical  sizes.  Noth- 
ing is  better  for  covering  than  a  good  grade 
of  heavy  unbleached  muslin.  There  is  no  ad- 
vantage in  using  waterproof  muslin  unless  the 
opening  is  directly  exposed  to  severe  storms. 
The  material  used  in  the  waterproofing  closes 
the  pores  and  practically  defeats  the  purpose 
for  which  the  muslin  is  used. 

Where   the   top   of  the   opening  is   consid- 
erably  below   the   rafter    plate,    a    convenient 
way  of  hanging  the   shutter  so   as  to  have  it 
entirely    out   of    the    way    when   open,   is    to 
use  side   strips  long  enough  to  reach  to  the'  plate,  hing- 
ing them  as  shown  in   Fig.  31. 

With  hinged  shijtters  there  usually  is  no  way  of  ad- 
justing the  size  of  the  opening,  the  shutter  being  kept 


closed  or  wide  open.  In  a  house  having  several  shutters,  a 
degree  of  adjustment  may  be  secured  by  leaving  some 
closed,  opening  only  as  many  as  are  necessary.  One  way 
of  making  the  shutteis  adjustable  is  illustrated  in  Chap- 
ter VII,  on  page  77.  In  this  case  the  shutter  is  made 
in  two  parts,  hinged  together  so  that  the  upper  part  may 
be  left  open  while  the  lower  half  is  closed.  Another 
method  of  securing  an  adjustable  shutter  is  shown  in 
Chapter  VI,  where  the  frame  is  arranged  to  slide  up  anf' 


FIG.    31 — MUSLIN-COVERED    SHUTTER    WITH 
EXTENSION   RAILS 

down,  and  may  be  fastened  at  any  desired  height  by 
means  of  a  hook  screwed  into  the  top,  and  catching  in 
the  netting  back  of  the  shutter. 

The  house  shown  in  Fig.  34,  one  of  the  buildings 
on  the  Poultry  Plant  at  the  University  of  California, 
provides  for  an  unusual  degree  of  shutter  adjustment. 
Each  shutter  is  made  in  four  narrow  vertical  sections 
hinged  on  the  side  to  swing  out.  By  opening  one  or 
more  of  these,  any  desired  adjustment  in  ventilation  may 
be  secured.  In  windy  weather  the  sections  that  open 
back  against  the  wind  can  be  fastened  in  posi- 
tion to  act  as  windbreaks.  All  the  sections 
of  a  shutter  are  enclosed  in  a  substantial  frame 
which  is  hinged  at  the  top  to  swing  out.  When 
fastened  in  the  position  shown  on  the  right 
side  of  illustration,  the  shutter  acts  as  a  sun- 
shade. This  style  of  shutter  is  well  adapted 
for  use  where  the  summers  are  hot,  or  where 
wide  variations  in  temperature  make  an 
unusual  degree  of  adjustment  especially  de- 
sirable. 


H 


Substitutes  for  Shutters 

Where  large  openings  are  to  have  muslin 
protection,  loose  curtains  are  considered  more 
desirable  by  many.  As  a  rule,  these  are  pro- 
vided with  small  metal  rings  at  suitable  in- 
tervals, top  and  bottom,  these  rings  sliding  on 
wires.  With  the  curtains  on  the  outside  of 
the  building,  they  do  not  flap  much  in  the 
wind,  but  are  simply  blown  back  against  the 
wire  netting  which  encloses  the  opening. 
These  curtains  appear  to  last  almost  as  long 
as  the  muslin  on  inside  frames.  The  house 
,hown  on  page  49  is  equipped  with  muslin 
curtains  in  the  manner  just  described. 

One  of  the  objections  to  the  use  of  muslin  shutters 
and  curtains  for  ventilation  is  that  they  require  frequent 
adjustment  in  changeable  weather.  Failure  to  open 
them  on  warm  days,  or  to  close  them  promptly  when  the 


E 


LOCATING  AND   PLANNING   POULTRY    HOUSES 


21 


temperature  drops  suddenly  in  win- 
ter, may  lead  to  more  or  less  serious 
•consequences.  As  a  m'eans  of  secur- 
ing ventilation  without  the  necessity 
for  making  such  adjustment,  louvered 
ventilators  (shown  in  Fig.  35)  are 
recommended  by  the  Missouri  State 
Poultry  Experiment-  Station.  These 
ventilator  openings  are  adapted  in 
size  to  the  dimensions  of  the  house. 
For  one  having  four  hundred  square 
feet  of  floor  space  and  accommodat- 
ing one  hundred  to  one  hundred  and 
twenty-five  hens,  the  Missouri  Sta- 
tion recommends  four  ventilators 
each  three  feet  square.  The  hori- 
zontal slats  are  1x6  inches,  set  at  an 
angle  of  forty-five  degrees.  The  dis- 
tance between  each  of  the  slats  is  one  and  one-half  inches. 

It  is  claimed  for  these  shutters  that  the  storm  will 
not  beat  in,  while  ventilation  is  unobstructed  at  all  times. 
Ir  practical  use,  however,  it  has  been  found  that  snow 

will  sift  through  un- 
der some  conditions 
and  in  exposed  loca- 
tions there  is  trou- 
ble from  drafts,  for 
which  reason  the 
openings  sometimes 
are  fitted  with  mus- 
lin shutters  for  win- 
ter use. 

As  a  means  of 
securing  the  ad- 
vantages of  the  Mis- 
souri shutter  with- 
out the  above-noted 
objections,  the  Poul- 
try Department  at 
Cornell  University 
has  originated  the 
Cornell  Wind  Baf- 
fler, illustrated  in 
Fig.  36.  In  a  house 
having  approximate- 
ly five  hundred 
square  feet  of  floot 
space,  three  of  these 
bafflers  are  recom- 
mended, making 
them  three  feet  deep 
and  cutting  the  slats 
27%  inches  long. 

ENLARGED  C*oss  SECTION  Secure  the  slats  in 
place  by  nailing 
them  through  the 
side  pieces,  using 
No.  5  finishing  nails. 
The  bafflers,  after 
they  are  made,  are 
slipped  into  open- 
ings between  studs 
suitably  spaced  and 
are  held  in  place  by 
a  few  small  nails. 

The     following     bill 
FIG.    33— CROSS    SECTION    OF  ,    ,        , 

SHUTTER  OPENING  O*   lumber   will   sup- 

Allow    siding    to    overlap    stud    one       ply       material       for 
inch    on   each    side    to   make    a   tight        .u  •     ,    ,     rr, 

joint  around  shutter.  three    wind    bafflers 


PIG.    34 — LAYING  HOUSE   WITH   DIVIDED   SHUTTERS 
Photo  from  University  of  California. 

of  the  dimensions  just  noted,  which  will  provide  sufficient 
ventilation   for  a   house    16x30  feet. 

11  pieces,  ^  inch  x  3  inch,  16  feet  long. 

6  pieces,  ^  inch  x  \y2  inch,  16  feet  long. 

1  piece,  9-16  inch  x  4  inch,  10  feet  long. 

1  piece,  9-16  inch  x  4  inch,  12  feet  long. 

One  serious  objection  to  both  the  Missouri  shutter 
and  the  Cornell  wind  baffler  is  that  neither  one  admits 
much  light,  for  which  reason  it  is  necessary  to  provide 
considerably  more  window  space  than  is  required  where 
ri;uslin  shutters  are  used. 

Rear  Wall  Ventilators 

In  poultry  houses  that  are  equipped  with  muslin 
fronts  or  slatted  openings,  no  other  ventilation  is  required, 
except  in  hot  weather,  when  rear  ventilators,  such  as  are 
shown  in  Fig.  37,  page  22,  will  be  found  decidedly 
helpful.  These  ventilators  extend  the  entire  length  of 
the  building,  close  up  under  the  eaves,  and  in  the  south 
may  open  directly  into  the  room  and  may  be  made  as 
much  as  twelve  inches  wide.  The  perches,  however, 
should  be  far  enough  below  the  opening  so  that  the 
fowls  on  the  roost  will  not  be  in  a  direct  draft.  In  the 
north  this  opening  is  made  four  to  eight  inches  wide, 
and  the  wall  and  ceiling  about  the  perches  should  be 
ceiled  as  shown.  The  ceiling  boards  should  be  of  sound 
tongue-and-grooved  stock  and  should  extend  from  the 
underside  of  the  droppings  platform  up  the  rear  wall 
and  along  the  rafters  to  a  point  twelve  to  eighteen  inches 
in  front  of  the  outer  edge  of  the  platform..  The  ceil- 
ing must  be  carried  around  the  rafter  plate  on  short 
furring  strips,  reaching  diagonally  from  the  rear  wall  to 
the  rafters,  so  that  there  will  be  no  obstruction  to  the 
circulation  of  the  air.  The  outside  opening  should  be 
provided  with  doors  that  can  be  closed  tight  in  cold 
weather.  These  doors  may  consist  of  inch  boards  of 
suitable  width.  They  should  not  be  over  six  to  eight 
feet  long,  as  a  rule,  as  they  are  liable  to  warp  if  too  long, 
and  in  that  condition  will  not  close  the  opening  tightly, 
which  is  quite  important  in  cold  weather.  When  glass 
sashes  are  provided  under  the  droppings  boards,  these 
may  be  removed  in  hot  weather,  adding  greatly  to  the 
comfort  of  the  fowls.  For  cross  section  of  house  equipped 
with  rear  ventilator,  see  Fig.  62,  page  37,  also  see  Chapter 
X  for  detail  drawing. 

Straw  Lofts 

In  cold  climates,  straw  lofts  are  especially  desirable 
and  well  worth  the  additional  cost  of  providing  them. 
A  practical  type  of  straw  loft  is  indicated  in  Fig.  79. 
This  heavy  blanket  of  straw  not  only  retains  warmth, 


22 


POULTRY  HOUSES  AND  FIXTURES 


FIG.  35 — LAYING  HOUSE  WITH  LOUVERED  VENTILATOR 
Photo  from  Mo.  State  Poultry  Exp.   Station. 

making  the  house  more  comfortable  in  winter,  but  also 
makes  it  cooler  in  summer.  The  straw  also  absorbs 
moisture  and  helps  to  keep  the  house  dry.  Where  straw 
lofts  are  used,  louvered  ventilator  openings  should  always 
be  provided  in  the  gables,  thus  permitting  the  gradual 
passage  of  air  through  the  straw  and  out  at  the  gables. 
See  pages  45  and  46  for  plans  for  a  straw-loft  house. 

King  Ventilating  System 

In  brooder  houses  and  in  buildings  of  special  con- 
struction, where  muslin  fronts  are  not  desired,  the  method 
of  ventilation  shown  in  Fig.  38,  known  as  the  King  Ven- 
tilating System,  will  be  found  practical  and  satisfactory. 
In  this  the  air  is  admitted  to  the  intake  near  the  ground 
and  passes  up  between  the  inner  and  outer  walls,  where 
the  building  has  a  double  wall,  or  in  a  specially  provided 
flue  in  single-walled  buildings,  and  thus  enters  the  build- 
ing near  the  ceiling,  as  indicated  by  the  arrows.  A  cen- 
trally located  flue,  the  opening  to  which  is  about  a  foot 
above  the  floor,  carries  the  foul  air  out  through  a  louvered 
ventilator  in  the  roof.  Where  this  system  of  ventilation 
is  adopted,  the  cross  section  of  both  intake  and  outtake 
should  provide  about  four  square  inches  per  adult  bird,  or 

w/A/a  BAFFLER 

Arrows  .S/iot*  /iow    H/rnd 
through 


<: 


in  that  proportion.  The  air  circulation  is  controlled  by 
the  adjustable  doors  at  the  top  of  the  intake  flues,  and 
a  door  is  also  provided  in  the  outlet  flue  near  the  ceiling, 
for  supplementary  ventilation  in  hot  weather. 

Building  Temporary  Poultry  Houses 

The  labor  cost  of  building  poultry  houses  always 
amounts  to  a  large  part  of  the  total  expense,  though  this 
fact  is  often  overlooked  when  the  poultryman  himself 
does  the  work.  In  fact,  the  common  tendency  to  place 
no  money  value  on  special  work  done  by  the  poultryman 
or  his  assistant  leads  to  a  great  deal  of  wasted  effort. 
It  is  a  good  plan,  therefore,  to  form  the  habit  of  placing 
a  definite  valuation  on  time,  either  by  the  day  or  the 
hour,  systematically  charging  the  same  against  all  work 
performed.  This  practice  will  bring  about  a  very  differ- 
ent estimate  of  the  actual  worth  of  things  done  and  par- 
ticularly will  be  found  to  discourage  temporary  expe- 
dients, which  invariably  cost  all  out  of  proportion  to 
their  practical  value. 

For  example,  in  planning  cheap,  temporary  buildings 
or  shelters,  the  poultryman  should  consider  not  only  the 
actual  cost  of  materials,  but  of  his  labor  as  well,  and  also 
should  make  a  careful  estimate  of  the  length  of  time  that 


PIG.  36 — CORNELL  WIND  BAFFLER 


FIG.    37 — REAR  VENTILATOR  AND   WINDOWS 

House  here  illustrated  is  provided  with  rear  venti- 
lator extending1  entire  length  of  building,  immediately 
under  eave.  Also  has  single-sash  windows  next  to  floor. 
This  greatly  improves  the  lighting  under  droppings  plat- 
form, and  with  ventilators  and  windows  both  open  in 
summer  the  house  will  be  about  as  cool  as  it  is  possible 
to  make  it.  Photo  from  Mo.  State  Poultry  Exp.  Station. 

they  may  be  expected  to  last,  and  the  cost  of  keeping 
them  in  repair  during  that  time.  If  this  is  done  there 
will  be  vastly  fewer  of  the  makeshift  structures  that  dis- 
figure so  many  poultry  plants  at  present.  There  is  no 
question  about  the  fact  that,  under  average  conditions,  a 
well-built,  permanent  house  is  cheaper  in  the  long  run 
than  the  succession  of  cheaper  structures  that  would  be 
required  to  answer  the  same  purpose  for  the  same  length 
of  time.  It  is  not  meant  by  this  to  condemn  as  imprac- 
tical, all  temporary  structures  for  poultry  uses.  There 
are  many  practical  conditions  under  which  these  are  re- 
quired; but  both  sides  of  the  matter  should  be  looked 
into  before  making  such  investments. 

The  poultryman  who  has  decided  that  a  temporary 
building  is  needed,  should  consider  carefully  the  kind 
and  quality  of  materials  that  are  to  be  used  in  it.  It  is 
as  impractical  to  use  high-grade  lumber  or  heavy  roofing 
on  a  building  that  is  only  expected  to  last  two  or  three 
years,  as  it  is  to  use  the  inferior  material  or  one-ply 
roofing  on  one  that  is  expected  to  be  permanent.  In  the 
one  case  material  is  wasted,  and  in  the  other,  labor.  In 
putting  up  temporary  structures,  true  economy  lies  in 
placing  a  definite  estimate  upon  the  period  for  which  they 
are  to  last  and  then  selecting  the  cheapest  suitable  ma- 
terial which  will  give  that  length  of  service. 


LOCATING  AND   PLANNING   POULTRY    HOUSES 


23 


Hardware 

In  the  various  bills  of  materials  presented,  the  kind 
or  quality  of  hardware  required  is  not  specified  aside 
from  a  few  details  such  as  hinges,  hooks,  etc.  A  few 
general  suggestions  on  the  subject  here  may  prove  help- 
ful to  the  inexperienced.  In  setting  up  ordinary  framing 
timbers  20-penny  nails  are  regularly  used,  though  a  few 
40-penny  spikes  come  "in  handy  now  and  then.  For  nail- 
ing sheathing  boards,  T  &  G  siding,  and  %-inch  lumber 
generally,  8-penny  nails  are  used.  For  rough,  unsurfaced 
boards,  which  run  one  inch  or  over  in  thickness,  it  is 
better  to  use  the  10-penny  size.  For  J^-inch  lumber,  such 
as  strips  for  cracks,  etc.,  use  6-penny  nails.  Shingles  are 
laid  with  4-penny  nails,  galvanized  if  obtainable.  Lathing 
nails  (2-penny)  are  handy  for  a  variety  of  uses  and  a 
few  should  always  be  on  hand.  Size  mentioned  above 
apply  to  either  wire  or  cut  nails,  the  former  being  em- 
ployed almost  exclusively,  as  they  are  cheaper,  easier  to 
use,  less  liable  to  split  the  lumber,  and  more  readily  ob- 
tainable. 

There  is  little  occasion  for  using  casing  or  finishing 
nails  in  poultry-house  construction,  but  when  neat  work 
is  to  be  done  they  will  be  called  for.  In  making  shutter 
frames,  feed  hoppers  and,  in  general,  wherever  thin  lum- 
ber or  narrow  strips  are  to  be  employed,  box  nails  which 
are  of  smaller  diameter  than  ordinary  nails  of  the  same 
length,  can  be  used1  with  less  danger  of  splitting  the 
wood.  Where  they  cannot  be  obtained  it  sometimes  is 
practicable  to  use  casing  nails  which  also  are  of  smaller 
diameter  then  headed  nails. 

For  attaching  light-weight  poultry  netting  to  fences, 
etc.,  ordinary  netting  staples  are  satisfactory,  but  if  wire 
heavier  than  16  gauge  is  used  it  is  better  to  get  regular 
fencing  staples.  On  shutter  frames  and  generally  where 
the  lumber  is  liable  to  split,  double-pointed  carpet  tacks 
are  much  more  desirable  than  netting  staples.  They  hold 
the  netting  securely  and  do  not  split.  For  tacking  mus- 


latter  have  very  thin  heads  and  are  hard  to  pull  out  when 
making  repairs.  For  fastening  doors,  wir-.dows,  etc., 
screw  hooks  and  eyes  are  invaluable,  and  the  2-in.  size 
is  most  convenient  in  a  majority  of  cases.  For  adjusting 


FIG.   38 — KING  VENTILATING  SYSTEM 

lin  to  frames,  4-oz.  carpet  tacks  are  heavy  enough,  but  if 
duck  or  burlap  is  used  it  will  be  better  to  employ  the 
8-oz.  size.  Cut  tacks  are  preferable  to  wire  tacks  as  the 


PIG.  39— CROSS  SECTION  OF  STRAW  LOFT  HOUSE 

swinging  windows,  various  attachments  are  obtainable, 
but  about  the  cheapest  convenient  plan  is  to  use  a  suit- 
able length  of  light,  flat-link  chain,  obtainable  at  any 
good  hardware  store. 

The  various  styles  of  hinges  used  about  poultry 
buildings  include  butt  hinges,  with  either  tight  or  loose 
pins,  T-strap  hinges,  and  strap  hinges.  Butt  hinges  are 
employed  on  all  narrow  strips,  frames,  etc.  As  the 
screws  which  fasten  these  hinges  in  place  are  close  to- 
gether and  near  the  edges  of  the  boards,  they  are  quite 
liable  to  split  out  and  it  is  not  advisable,  therefore,  to 
use  them  if  strap  hinges  can  be  employed  instead.  Loose- 
pin  butt  hinges  are  used  only  where  it  is  desirable  to  be 
able  to  remove  the  hinged  section  without  taking  out 
screws,  and  where  the  hinges  are  in  a  vertical  position. 
Be  particular  to  specify  tight-pin  butts  in  hinges  to  be 
placed  horizontally,  as  in  windows,  shutters,  etc.  For 
partition  doors  between  pens,  it  is  desirable  to  use  dou- 
ble-acting hinges.  The  smaller  hardware  stores,  as  a 
rule,  only  handle  the  heavy,  expensive  styles  used  in 
dwelling  houses,  but  comparatively  inexpensive  ones  are 
made  and  can  be  secured  on  direct  order  if  the  pur- 
chaser insists  upon  it.  For  large  outside  doors,  strap 
or  T-strap  hinges  are  commonly  used.  If  the  door  is 
regularly  framed,  loose-pin  butt  hinges  (4  to  5-inch  size) 
may  be  used,  but  are  more  trouble  to  install.  A  6  to  8- 
inch  safety  hasp  usually  is  preferred  to  any  other  form 
of  door  fastener. 

Paint 

The  improvement  in  appearance  which  results  from 
having  well-painted  buildings  would  alone  be  a  sufficient 
reason  for  painting  all  exposed  wood  work.  In  addi- 
tion to  this,  however,  paint  adds  greatly  to  the  life  of 
the  building,  particularly  if  cheaper  grades  of  lumber  are 
used.  Such  lumber  will  deteriorate  rapidly  if  not  pro- 
tected. It  is  true  economy,  moreover,  to  use  paint  of 
good  quality,  mixed  with  linseed  oil,  rather  than  to  ap- 
ply cheap  paint  which  always  is  composed  of  distinctly 
inferior  materials.  "Cold-water"  paints,  whitewash,  etc., 
may  be  used  and  will  add  appreciably  to  the  appearance 
of  buildings,  fences,  etc.,  but  have  not  the  preservative 
value  of  good  oil  paint,  and  require  renewal  at  more 
frequent  intervals. 

"Whitewash  can  be  made  by  slacking  about  ten 
pounds  of  quicklime  in  a  pail  with  2  gallons  of  water, 
covering  the  pail  with  cloth  or  burlap  and  allowing  it  to 
slake  for  one  hour.  Water  is  then  added  to  bring  the 


24 


POULTRY  HOUSES  AND  FIXTURES 


whitewash  to  a  consistency  which  may  be  applied  read- 
ily. A  weather-proof  whitewash  for  exterior  surfaces 
may  be  made  as  follows:  (1)  Slake  1  bushel  of  quicklime 
in  12  gallons  of  hot  water;  (2)  dissolve  2  pounds  of  com- 
mon salt  and  1  pound  of  sulphate  of  zinc  in  2  gallons 
of  boiling  water;  pour  (2)  into  (1),  then  add  a  gallon 
of  skim  milk  and  mix  thoroughly.  Whitewash  is  spread 
lightly  over  the  surface  with  a  broad  brush."  * 

A  cheap  and  fairly  satisfactory  "paint"  can  be  made 
by  stirring  Portland  cement  into  skim  milk  until  the 
mixture  reaches  the  consistency  of  thick  cream,  when  it 
can  be  applied  with  an  ordinary  paint  or  whitewash 
brush.  It  can  be  made  in  various  tints  by  adding  lamp 
black,  Venetian  red,  ochre,  and  various  other  coloring 
substances  as  desired. 

Tools 

The  poultry  keeper  usually  does  more  or  less  of 
his  own  carpenter  work,  as  he  finds  that,  with  a  little 
experience,  he  can  do  satisfactory  work,  and  at  much  less 
expense  as  compared  with  the  cost  of  having  it  done  by 
a  carpenter.  Most  persons,  however,  make  the  mistake 
of  attempting  to  do  such  work  with  a  too-limited  assort- 
ment of  tools,  or  with  tools  of  inferior  quality.  The 
poultry  keeper  cannot  afford  to  neglect  providing  a  com- 
plete outfit  of  tools,  and  should  have  a  regularly 
equipped  workshop  if  at  all  possible. 

Attempting  to  do  carpenter  work  without  the  proper 
tools,  or  with  tools  that  are  dull,  rusty  and  generally  un- 
fit for  use,  is  not  true  economy  under  any  condition. 

To  be  able  to  do  any  kind  of  construction  work  ef- 
ficiently, the  following  tools  will  be  found  practically  in- 
dispensable: ax,  hammer,  hatchet,  set  of  chisels,  from 
54  in-  to  \l/2  in.,  mallet,  brace  and  set  of  bits,  2  screw 
drivers,  large  and  small,  block  plane,  jack  plane,  spirit 
level,  plumb  bob,  steel  square,  rip  saw,  crosscut  or  hand 
saw,  compass  saw,  monkey  wrench,  pliers,  oil  stone,  2- 
foot  pocket  rule,  portable  iron  vise,  l/2-pt.  oil  can,  chalk, 
chalkline,  drawknife. 

In  the  shop  there  should  be  a  good-sized  carpen- 
ter's work-bench  with  a  wooden  vise,  a  bicycle  grind- 
stone, and  a  small  geared  emery  or  carborundum  stone. 
In  order  to  be  able  to  take  care  of  the  various  repair 
jobs  that  often  are  called  for  about  the  average  home 
*  Extract  from  Farmers'  Bui.  574,  U.  S.  Dept.  of  Agriculture. 


FIG.   40 — SUMMER  SHADES   FOR  OPEN  FRONT   HOUSES. 
Photo  from  Purdue  University 


and  poultry  plant,  a  few  metal-working  tools  will  be 
found  convenient,  particularly  a  set  of  drill  bits  in  small 
sizes:  J/2-in.  and  1-in.  cold  chisels,  metal  or  tinner's 
shears,  medium-size  pipe  wrench;  small  set  of  S  wrenches. 
The  tools  when  not  in  use  should  be  kept  in  a  wall  cab- 
inet provided  with  suitable  shelves  and  hooks.  It  will 
aid  in  observance  of  the  important  rule  of  "a  place  for 
every  tool  and  every  tool  in  its  place"  if  the  cabinet  is 
provided  with  glass  doors  so  that  if  any  tool  is  not  in 
its  proper  place  this  fact  can  hardly  escape  notice. 

The  foregoing  list  may  appear  to  be  a  rather  formid- 
able one,  but  on  the  average  poultry  plant  every  tool 
mentioned  should  pay  for  itself,  in  time  and  money 
saved,  before  the  end  of  the  first  year.  Having  provided 
these  tools  see  that  they  are  properly  cared  for.  If  care- 
lessly used,  left  lying  around,  or  put  away  while  damp, 
they  will  deteriorate  quickly  and  soon  become  compara- 
tively worthless.  It  is  true  economy  to  get  good  tools 
and  then  keep  them  in  good  condition.  This  includes 
keeping  all  edged  tools  sharp.  Dull  tools  are  strength 
and  time-wasters  and  usually  result  in  much  wasted  ma- 
terial also.  The  grindstone  should  be  operated  by  power 
if  possible.  If  it  must  be  turned  by  hand  or  foot  it  is 
doubly  important  to  have  a  geared  emery  or  carborundum 
stone  for  use  where  the  ordinary  grindstone  cuts  too 
slowly. 

Plans  Given  in  Other  -Books 

In  order  to  present  the  subject  of  poultry  house  con- 
struction in  such  a  manner  as  to  meet  the  building  re- 
quirements of  the  greatest  number,  it  has  been  found  nec- 
essary to  limit  the  plans  illustrated  and  described,  to 
houses  for  fowls.  Permanent  brooder  houses  being  an 
essential  feature  of  every  well-equipped  poultry  plant, 
these  are  fully  represented,  also  a  number  of  plans  for 
portable  colony  houses  which  can  be  used  for  adult  fowls, 
brooder  chicks  or  growing  stock.  Those  who  are  especi- 
ally interested  in  houses  of  the  latter  type,  however,  also 
in  brooders,  brood  coops,  chick  runs,  and  chick-raising 
equipment  generally,  are  referred  to  our  books  on  "Arti- 
ficial Incubating  and  Brooding"  and  "The  Chick  Book." 
Plans  for  houses  especially  designed  for  ducks,  will  be 
found  in  our  book  on  "Ducks  and  Geese."  Houses  for 
turkeys  are  described  in  "Turkeys,  Their  Care  and  Man- 
agement." See  page  112. 

AN  ANNOUNCEMENT 

At  an  early  date,  we  expect  to  issue 
a  book  on  "Poultry  Plant  Construc- 
tion," devoted  primarily  to  the  re- 
quirements of  large  plants.  This 
book  will  give  complete  working 
olans,  architect's  specifications,  bills 
of  material,  etc.,  for  modern,  down- 
to-date  poultry  houses  of  every  kind 
required  on  large  breeding  and  com- 
mercial plants.  It  will  be  printed 
:~i  extra-size  pages,  which  will  make 
it  possible  to  reproduce  plans  on  a 
scale  large  enough  to  biing  out  clear- 
ly all  necessary  details  of  design  and 
construction.  The  need  for  a  book 
of  this  character  is  unquestioned,  and 
we  anticipate  a  large  demand  for  it. 
Announcement  of  exact  date  of  pub- 
lication will  be  given  later  through 
the  usual  channels. 


CHAPTER    II 


Economical  Back  Yard  Poultry  Houses 

Back  Yard  Poultry  Keeping  is  Profitable  When  Well-Managed—Laying  Out  the  Plant  so  as  to  Utilize  Space  to  the 

Best  Advantage  and  Protect  Health  of  Fowls — Complete  Plans  for  Building  a  Number  of  Inexpensive 

Houses— Avoid  Makeshift  Buildings— Even  Low-Cost  Houses  May  Be  Made  Neat  and  Attractive. 


NDER  many  conditions  the  back-yard  poultry 
flock  can  be  made  an  important  means  of  reduc- 
ing the  high  cost  of  living  and  may  also  be  util- 
ized as  a  source  of  revenue. 
Where  they  are  given  proper  care  and  attention,  the 
number  of  fowls  that  can  be  kept  on  a  small  tract  of 
ground  is  surprisingly  large.  Extremely  intensive  methods 
of  poultry  raising  are  not  to  be  recommended  for  general 
adoption — especially  for  large-scale  operations,  but  it  is 
entirely  practicable  to  follow  this  method  on  a  small 
scale,  and  with  good  success. 

Where   a   back   yard   is   available,    a   good-sized    flock 
can   be   kept   to   excellent   advantage,   and   the    space   pro- 
vided by  the    ordinary    back 
yard   can   frequently   be   util- 
ized with  more  profitable  re- 
sults in  poultry  keeping  than 
in   any  other  manner  involv- 
ing no  greater  outlay. 

Few  persons  realize  how 
much  may  be  accomplished 
in  the  space  of  an  ordinary 
back  yard  in  the  production 
of  eggs  and  fowls  for  the 
home  table.  In  one  .year,  a 
dozen  pullets  or  young  hens, 
fed  largely  on  scraps  from 
the  kitchen,  should  produce 
120  to  180  dozens  of  eggs, 
having  a  market  value  of 
$50.00  or  more,  at  average 
prices.  If  desired,  it  is  prac- 
ticable to  go  a  step  farther 
and,  in  the  space  of  the  aver- 
age back  yard,  raise  a  few 
broods  of  chicks  that  will 
furnish  spring  and  summer 
frys  and  roasting  fowls  for 
fall  and  winter  use,  thus 
keeping  the  table  supplied 
with  this  delicious  and  whole- 
some meat  a  good  part  of 
the  year  and  reducing  the 
butcher's  bill  to  a  small  frac- 
tion of  what  it  otherwise 
would  be. 

Fowls  can  be  kept  successfully  in  quite  limited 
space,  and  where  it  is  desirable  to  do  so,  the  average 
back  yard  affords  sufficient  room  for  a  flock  large  enough 
to  form  an  important  source  of  additional  income  through 
the  sale  of  surplus  eggs  and  fowls  to  the  neighbors,  many 
of  whom  will  be  glad  of  an  opportunity  to  buy  these 
special  quality  products,  and  will  cheerfully  pay  an  ad- 
vance over  the  ordinary  market  price  for  them.  All  the 
work  of  caring  for  such  a  flock  may  be  done  outside  of 
regular  work  hours  and  the  time  will  scarcely  be  missed. 
There  are  other  .ways  of  deriving  an  income  from  the 
back-yard  flock,  such  as  the  production  of  standard-bred, 
exhibition-quality  fowls  and  the  sale  of  eggs  for  hatch- 
ing, also  day-old  chicks.  Not  only  may  substantial  sums 
be  realized  in  this  way,  but  the  experience  thus  gained 


PIG.  41—  AN  ATTRACTIVE  B 
HOUSE 


may  be  made  the  basis  for  the  development  of  an  ex- 
tensive poultry  business  that  will  enable  the  poultryman 
to  drop  less  profitable  or  congenial  employment  and  give 
his  entire  time  to  this  interesting  and  comparatively  easy 
work.  Many  of  the  most  successful  breeders  of  today  es- 
tablished their  prize-winning  strains  and  laid  the  founda- 
tions for  their  success  within  the  limits  of  an  ordinary 
back  yard.  Remember  however,  that  it  is  especially  im- 
portant to  avoid  overcrowding  where  breeding  fowls  are 
kept  in  close  quarters. 

Laying  Out  the  Back  Yard  Poultry  Plant 
There  are  various  ways  of  laying  out  the  back  yard 
to  accommodate  a  small  flock  of  fowls,  but  one  convenient 

manner     of     doing     this    is 
shown  in  Fig.  42. 

Special  attention  should 
be  called  to  the  fact  that 
the  back-yard  poultry  plant 
does  not  necessarily  have 
to  be  an  eyesore-.  The  poul- 
try house  can  be  built  in  a 
neat  and  attractive  manner 
at  only  a  slight  increase  in 
cost  over  ramshackle  con- 
struction, and  when  this  is 
done  the  owner  is  much 
more  likely  to  retain  his 
interest  in  the  work. 

Temporary,  inconvenient 
structures,  hastily  and  care- 
lessly built,  have  been  re- 
sponsible for  poor  results 
and  for  loss  of  interest  in 
thousands  of  cases  where 
suitable  buildings  would 
have  encouraged  the  owner 
to  continue  in  this  most  in- 
teresting  and  profitable 
work.  A  good  illustration 
of  neatness  in  back-yard 
poultry  house  construction 
is  given  in  Fig.  41.  It 
costs  a  little  more  to  build 
in  this  manner  than  to  put 
up  a  "shack,"  but  when 
built  such  a  house  should 

require   no  repairs   for  many  years  and  without  doubt  it 
adds   substantially  to  the  value   of  the  property. 

Fig.  42  shows  how  the  back  yard  can  not  only  be  util- 
ized for  a  flock  large  enough  to  supply  the  family  table 
with  eggs  and  fowls  practically  the  year  round,  but  also 
to  produce  a  surplus  for  sale  at  good  prices.  This  can  be 
done  without  sacrificing  the  lawn  and  without  making  the 
back  yard  unattractive. 

This  plan  provides  for  a  poultry  house  of  three  pens, 
each  of  which  will  accommodate  twenty-five  fowls.  The 
amount  of  yard  room  allowed  is  comparatively  small,  but 
if  the  yards  are  regularly  swept  and  occasionally  spaded, 
they  will  keep  clean  and  free  from  odor  and,  with  proper 
care,  the  fowls  will  do  as  well  as  on  free  range.  The 
lawn  and  the  small,  separately  fenced  plot  in  the  rear 


CK-YARD  POULTRY 


Even  though  only  a  very  limited  amount  of  room  is 
available,  it  will  pay  to  give  the  fowls  an  outdoor  run. 
Above  illustration  shows  how  to  make  a  small  yard  look 
neat  and  trim  with  but  little  trouble  or  expense. 


26 


POULTRY  HOUSES  AND  FIXTURES 


will  provide  room  for  raising  pullets 
enough  to  renew  one-half  the  flock 
each  year. 

It  is  planned  to  utilize  the  lawn 
at  the  side  and  at  the  rear  of  the 
dwelling  for  brooding  young  chicks. 
If  they  are  not  kept  here  too  long, 
and  the  brooders  are  moved  at  fre- 
quent intervals,  the  lawn  will  not  be 
injured  in  any  manner  by  such  use. 
When  the  chicks  are  large  enough 
to  take  care  of  themselves,  they  are 
to  be  removed  to  the  plot  in  the  rear 
where  small  colony  houses  are  pro- 
vided for  them,  and  where  they  are 
to  run  until  the  pullets  are  ready  to 
go  into  the  laying  pens  in  the  fall. 
The  cockerels  can  be  kept  here,  also, 
until  they  reach  broiler  age  when, 
ordinarily,  they  should  be  disposed 


FIG.    42— PRACTICAL,  METHOD   OF   LAYING   OUT   BACK-YARD 
POULTRY    PLANT 

This  sketch  shows  how  to  lay  out  a  good-sized  back  lot  where  chicks  are 
to  be  raised,  and  laying  or  breeding  fowls  kept  in  sufficient  numbers  to  make 
them  a  source  of  income.  AA  are  outdoor  brooders;  B,  the  laying  house;  C,  C,  L, 
outdoor  runs  for  hens;  D,  S,  colony  houses;  B,  yard  for  growing  stock  after 
the  young  birds  no  longer  need  artificial  heat;  F,  F,  hedge  on  each  side  of  the 
lot,  affording  windbreak  and  shade;  G,  the  home  garden. 


FIG.  43 — FLOOR  PLAN  OF  ELEVATED  POULTRY  HOUSE 

of,  the  amount  of  ground  provided 
being  insufficient  for  raising  large 
numbers  of  chicks  to  full  size. 

As  sketched  in  Fig.  42,  there  is  to 
be  a  hedge  on  both  sides  of  the  lawn, 
and  the  garden  plot  is  cut  off  from 
the  lawn  by  a  neat  screen,  to  which 
poultry  netting  can  be  fastened  if  it 
is  desired  to  make  it  chicken-tight. 
The  fencing  about  the  poultry  yards, 
of  course,  will  be  wire  netting,  four 
to  six  feet  high,  depending  upon  the 
variety  of  the  fowls  kept.  Fruit  trees 
should  be  planted  in  the  yards,  but 
probably  will  not  be  wanted  in  the 
garden.  Flower  beds  can  be  provided 
to  suit  individual  taste,  and  if  the 
plan  is  carried  out  as  here  indicated, 
the  fowls  will  not  interfere  in  any 
way  with  having  a  most  attractive 
lawn,  nor  will  they  make  trouble  for 
the  neighbors. 

In  this  plan  the  laying  house  is 
located  at  a  convenient  distance  from 
the  dwelling.  It  should  be  hidden  by 
grouping  shrubs  in  the  rear,  or  by 
a  grape  trellis  as  shown.  The  vari- 
ous features  of  this  back-yard  poul- 
try plant  are  indicated  by  letter  as 
follows: 

AA  are  outdoor  brooders;  B,  the 
laying  house;  C,  outdoor  runs  for 
hens;  D,  colony  houses;  E,  yard  for 
growing  stock  after  the  young  birds 
no  longer  need  artificial  heat  in  the 
brooders;  F,  hedge  on  each  side  of 
the  lot,  affording  windbreak  and 
shade;  G,  the  kitchen  garden. 

Many  town  and  city  poultry  keep- 
ers do  not  have  a  lot  large  enough 
for  a  poultry  plant  of  even  the  mod- 
est dimensions  here  shown,  and  must 
modify  their  lay-out  accordingly. 
Some  may  even  be  reduced  to  the 
necessity  of  using  no  more  space  than 
is  occupied  by  the  house  and  yard 
illustrated  in  Fig.  41,  and  still  may 
find  both  pleasure  and  profit  in  a 
well-managed  flock.  On  the  lot  just 


ECONOMICAL  BACK  YARD  POULTRY  HOUSES 


27 


mer  to  make  the  house  cooler  and  more  , comfortable. 
An  entrance  for  the  fowls  may  be  provided  in  the  front, 
if  desired,  but  the  rear  trap  door  should  always  be  avail- 
able for  the  use  in  stormy  weather,  when  the  fowls  will 
remain  below  indefinitely  rather  than  use  an  outside 
entrance. 

Fig.  43  gives  a  floor  plan  of  this  house,  Fig.  45  gives  a 
sectional  view  lengthwise,  and  Fig.  44  shows  a  general 
view.  While  the  dimensions  can  be  varied  to  suit  in- 
dividual needs,  the  house  as  planned  is  8x12  feet  on  three- 
foot  posts.  The  walls  are  five  feet  high  and  the  ridge  is 
eight  feet.  It  will  accommodate  twenty  to  twenty-five 
fowls,  or  even  thirty  in  a  pinch.  The  following  bill  of 
materials  will  be  found  sufficient  to  construct  it: 

BILL  OP  MATERIALS  FOR  BACK  YARD  POULTRY  HOUSE 


Use 


FIG.  44— SMALL  ELEVATED  POULTRY  HOUSE. 

referred  to,  no  chicks  at  all  can  be  raised,  but  a  good- 
sized  laying  flock  is  maintained  by  purchasing  early 
hatched  pullets  in  October,  or  by  November  1st  at  the 
outside,  and  feeding  heavily  for  eggs  until  production  be- 
gins to  drop  off  in  the  summer.  Then  the  layers  are 
killed  for  table  use,  and  a  new  flock  purchased  in  the  fall. 
The  plot  of  ground  here  utilized  probably  is  not  over 
12  to  15  feet  square  but,  as  here  utilized,  will  accommo- 
date a  flock  large  enough  to  supply  all  the  eggs  that 
will  be  ased  by  an  average  family  and  enough  more  to 
pay  the  cost  of  all  feed  purchased. 

ELEVATED  POULTRY  HOUSE 

A   Low-Cost  House    With    Sheltered    Exercising    Room 

Underneath  Affords  Comfort  for  the  Fowls 

All  the  Year. 

Where  a  small  flock  only  is  to  be  kept,  simply  to 
supply  the  home  table  with  fresh,  high-quality  eggs  and 
possibly  a  few  young  fowls  for  spring  and  summer  frys, 
the  house  shown  in  perspective  in  Fig.  5  will  be  found 
convenient  and  economical  to  build. 
This  house  stands  three  feet  above 
the  ground,  with  the  space  under- 
neath closed  on  three  sides,  afford- 
ing a  scratching  pen  for  the  hens  at 
practically  no  additional  cost.  The 
space  is  reached  from  the  floor  above 
by  an  incline  at  the  back. 

In  order  to  make  this  house  warm 
and  free  from  drafts  the  floor  should 
be  doubled,  the  sub-floor  consisting 
of  sheathing  boards  laid  diagonally, 
then  covered  with  good,  waterproof 
building  paper,  and  tongue  -  and- 
groove  flooring  laid  over  this. 

This  house  is  to  be  built  with  plain 
boards  nailed  perpendicular  and  cov- 
ered with  prepared  roofing.  The 
perches  are  along  the  west  end,  as- 
suming that  the  windows  and  open- 
ings face  the  south,  as  will  usually  be 
found  most  satisfactory. 

Ventilation  is  secured  by  providing 
a  muslin-covered  opening,  also  two  ^ 
small  openings  in  the  gable,  which 
should  be  closed  in  the  winter-time 
by  tacking  a  heavy  piece  of  cloth 
over  them,  but  left  open  in  the  sum- 


size 

Inch. 
Sills    ..  ....2x6 

Sills    2x6 

Joists    2x6 

Joists    2x4 

Studs    2x4 

Plates    2x4 

Plates    2x4 

Support    for    drop- 
pings   platform.... 2x4 

Window    sills    2x4 


Perches 


.2x4 


L'gth 

No.  of 

Bd. 

Feet 

Pieces  Meas. 

12 

2 

24 

8 

2 

16 

8 

4 

32 

8 

1 

5 

10 

5 

33 

12 

3 

24 

8 

4 

21 

8 

1 

5 

8 

1 

5 

8 

2 

11 

10 

1 

47 

640 

175 

Remarks 


1    piece    cuts    2. 


Surfaced    and 

milled. 
Surfaced,     upper 

corners    rounded. 
1    piece    cuts    2. 


Rafters   2x4 

Sheathing    boards. ..1x10 
Matched    flooring.. ..1x4 

3%    squares   prepared   roofing. 

100  s.  f.  sheathing  paper  for  floor. 

2  plain  rail  window  sashes,  1^4-in.,  6-light,  10xl2-in.  glass. 
20  s.  f.  of  1-inch  mesh  poultry  netting. 

10  V2    s.   f.   of  muslin. 

8   4-inch  locust  or  cedar  posts.  5%   ft.  long. 
1   pair  8-in.  T-strap  hinges. 
1  door  latch. 

3  pairs  2-inch  butt  hinges. 

1  chain  sash  adjuster. 

2  2-inch  hooks  and  eyes. 
Nails,  paint,  etc. 

With  a  little  more  expense,  the  house  can  be  built  with 
tongue-and-groove  siding  nailed  horizontally.  Trimmed 
neatly  and  given  a  couple  of  coats  of  paint,  it  may  be 
made  very  attractive  in  appearance  and  will  last  a  life- 
time. 


U 


FIG.    45— LENGTHWISE    SECTION   OF   ELEVATED    HOUSE 


28 


POULTRY  HOUSES  AND  FIXTURES 


HOUSE  FOR  ADULT  FOWLS  OR  BANTAMS 

A  Practical  House  for    Small    Back-Yard    Flocks.     Has 

Muslin  Ventilation,  and  Well-Protected  Perches. 

Just  Right  for  a  Pen  of  Bantams. 

By   E.  L,.   POTTER 

The  drawings  at  the  foot  of  this  page  illustrate  a 
convenient  and  practical  house  suitable  for  a  small  back- 
yard flock  of  eight  to  ten  fowls.  This  house  will  prove 
especially  convenient  for  a  bantam  flock,  though  it  may 
be  used  for  large  fowls  with  entirely  satisfactory  results. 
The  curtains  in  front  of  the  perches  should  be  omitted, 
as  they  are  of  little  use  except  in  extremely  cold  sec- 
tions of  the  country  or  for  fowls  having  extra-large 
combs.  If  this  house  is  used  as  a  colony  house,  it  will 
accommodate  twelve  to  fifteen  Leghorns,  about  twelve 
fowls  of  larger  breeds,  or  twenty  bantams.  It  may  be 
built  for  a  small  sum,  depending  somewhat  upon  the 
locality  and  the  price  of  lumber. 

In  our  climate  this  house'  has  proved  warm  enough, 
but  in  cooler  climates  I  would  advise  the  use  of  thin 
sheathing  or  ceiling,  nailed  on  over  a  tar-paper  lining, 
or  the  house  may  be  covered  on  the  outside  with  roofing 
material,  placing  the  strips  on  up  and  down  and  using 
bands  on  the  seams,  or  simply  cementing  the  edges  and 
nailing  it  on  in  the  usual  way.  Following  is  the  com- 
plete bill  of  materials  required  for  building  this  house: 

13   pieces    of    either    2x3-inch    or    2x2-inch    spruce    for    the 
sills,    joists,    corner    posts    and    intergirts,    also    rafters. 

3  pieces,    l%xl-inch    furring-,    14    feet   long1,    for    frame    of 
screens  and  supports  for  nest  bases  and  roosts. 

1   piece,   2-inchx3-inch   furring,   14   feet  long,   for   perches. 
350   feet    of     tongue-and-groove     flooring,    either    pine    or 
spruce. 

4  pounds  of  8d  wire  nails. 

22Yz   feet  of  one-ply  prepared  roofing. 

1  gallon  of  paint. 

2  sashes    (6-in.    x    8-in.    lights),    2    ft.    6    in.    x    2    ft.    6    in. 
110   feet    of    2-inch    mesh    poultry    netting   if    yard    is    to    be 

covered    on    top,    or    in    case    of    only    a    fence,    94    feet 
will  be  enough. 
2   pounds   of   staples. 


4  pieces,  3-inch  x  1-inch  furring,  12  feet  long,  for  top- 
of  yard  posts. 

6   pieces,   3-inch   x   8-inch   cedar   posts. 

2   pieces,   3-inch   x  1-inch  furring,   13   feet  long,   for   gate. 

2  6-inch  x  1-inch  spruce  boards,  12  feet  long,  for  bot- 
tom of  wire. 

2   6-inch  x  1-inch  boards,  18  feet  long,  for  bottom  of  wire. 

The  muslin  screens  in  the  upper  part  of  the  front 
are  movable  and  should  preferably  be  hung  from  the  top 
on  hinges,  so  that  they  can  be  hooked  up  out  of  the 
way  when  not  in  use.  In  this  house  the  windows  should 
be  hinged  at  the  bottom  so  that  they  can  be  dropped  in 


FIG.    46— CROSS   SECTION   OF   HOUSE    FOR    20    FOWLS 

Reproduced   from   Ohio   State   University   Extension 

Bulletin. 


from  the  .top  for  additional  ventilation  and  during  warm- 
weather   should  be   entirely  removed. 

In  a  house  as  narrow  as  this  it  is  difficult  to  use 
muslin  shutters  without  exposing  the  fowls  to  direct 
drafts  when  on  the  perches,  and  for  this  reason  it  would 
seem  that  the  perch  curtain  should  not  be  omitted.  A 
practical  method  of  protecting  the  fowls  from  drafts  un- 
der such  conditions  is  to  fasten  the  curtain  in  the  posi- 
tion shown  in  the  diagram,  so  that  it  will  act  as  a  screen, 


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FIG.  47 — COMPLETE  PLANS  FOR  BUILDING  SMALL  HOUSE  FOR  LAYERS  OR  BANTAMS 


ECONOMICAL  BACK  YARD  POULTRY  HOUSES 


29 


without  confining  the   fowls  or  seriously  restricting  ven- 
tilation. 

For  numerous  plans  for  small,  portable  houses  which 
also  are  adapted  to  the  requirements  of  back-yard  poul- 
try keepers,  see  Chapter  VI. 


FIG.    48— FLOOR   PLAN   OF   HOUSE    FOR   20    FOWLS 

Reproduced  from  Ohio  State  University  Extension 
Bulletin. 

A  HOUSE  FOR  TWENTY  FOWLS  * 
An  Attractive  House  for  Small  Back-Yard  Flocks.    Prac- 
tical and  Complete  in  Every  Important  Detail. 

The  house  shown  in  Figs.  46,  48  and  49  has  been  de- 
signed especially  to  satisfy  the  needs  of  the  poultryman 
who  keeps  only  a  small  flock  for  the  purpose  of  produc- 
ing poultry  and  eggs  for  the  home  table.  It  provides  suf- 
ficent  room  for  twenty  fowls. 

This  house  is  also  well  adapted  for  use  as  a  breeding 
house.  If  equipped  with  heavy  runners  and  a  board  floor, 
it  makes  a  convenient  colony  house  which  may  be  moved 
easily  by  one  team  from  one  part  of  the  farm  to  another. 


CLOTH    WINDOWS  HINGED 
AT  TOP   TO  SWINO   UP. 

NOTt-    ALL.     WINDOWS    OPtNINOB 
COVERED    WITH    I'  MtSM    Wlltf 


4-6" 


-;  /a-cr 


FIG.    49 — A    HOUSE    FOR    TWENTY    FOWLS — FRONT 

ELEVATION 

Reproduced  from  Ohio  State  University  Extension 
Bulletin. 

If  used  as  a  permanent  house,  a  concrete  or  tile  floor 
should  be  used.  Two  houses  of  this  size  and  type  set 
close  together  and  connected  by  a  runway,  may  be  used 
to  good  advantage  with  a  colony  brooder  stove  for  brood- 

*  From  Ohio  State  University  Extension  Bui.,  Vol.   12,  No.   2. 


FIG.  50 — A  TWO-PEN  HOUSE  FOR  BACK-YARD  FLOCK 


ing  purposes.  One  house,  in  which  the  stove  is  set,  is 
used  as  a  nursery  room.  The  other  house,  which  is  heat- 
ed only  by  the  warm  air  from  the  nursery  which  passes 
through  the  runway,  provides  a  well-ventilated  exercising 
and  feeding  room. 

BILL  OF  MATERIALS 

Sills    (doubled) — 84    linear   feet,    2x4    in. 

Plates — 48   linear  feet,   2x4   in. 

Studs — 8    pieces,    2x4    in.,    6    ft.    long;    8    pieces,    2x4    in.,    4    ft. 

long;    10   pieces,    2x4   in.,    6   ft.    long. 
Rafters — 6    pieces,    2x6    in.,    12    ft.    long. 
Outside    sheathing — 280    feet   B.   M.  drop    siding. 
Roof  sheathing — 130  feet  B.  M.,   1x8  in. 
Thim  lumber — 200   feet   1x4   in.   pine,   dress. 
For  screens — 50  feet,  1x2  in. 
Two   window  frames  with   sash. 
Two  squares  prepared  roofing. 
100  feet  dressed  and  matched  sheathing  for  ceiling  back   of 

perches  and  overhead. 
This  does  not  include  roosts,  brood  coop,  etc. 

A  TWO-PEN  BACK  YARD  HOUSE 
A   Modern   Curtain-Front  Two-Compartment  House   Es- 
pecially Well  Adapted  to  the  Needs  of  Back- 
Yard  Breeders. 

A  thoroughly  satisfactory  house,  where  two  or  more 
flocks  are  to  be  kept,  is  illustrated  in  Figs.  50  and  51. 
It  can  be  built  in  any  length,  but  is  shown  here  with  two 
pens.  The  house  is  twelve  feet  in  depth  and  eighteen  feet 
in  length,  making  each  pen  nine  feet  wide  and  providing 
room  for  about  fifty  hens,  or  seventy-five  in  a  three-pen 
house.  Such  a  house  as  this  should  be  built  about  seven 


WATER 


WATER. 


FIG.    51 — FLOOR    PLAN   OF   TWO-PEN   HOUSE 

Nests  are  placed  under  droppings  platform.  Perches 
are  supported  on  cross  bars,  hinged  at  back  to  swing  up. 
For  details  of  construction  of  partition,  nests,  and  water 
'platform,  see  Chapter  X. 

feet  high  in  front  and  five  feet  high  in  rear,  with  shed 
roof  and  concrete  wall  and  floor.  The  windows  and  mus- 
lin-covered openings  are  designed  for  a  moderately  cold 
climate,  such  as  is  found  in  the  latitude  of  New  York  or 
Chicago.  For  use  in  colder  climates  the  size  of  the  mus- 
lin-covered openings  should  be  somewhat  reduced,  while 


POULTRY  HOUSES  AND  FIXTURES 


ECONOMICAL  BACK  YARD  POULTRY  HOUSES 


31 


for  warmer  climates  they  may  be  increased  and  the  glass 
windows  omitted  entirely  if  preferred. 

This  house,  as  planned,  is  to  be  built  of  tonsue-and- 
groove  siding,  nailed  to  studs  placed  two  feet  on  centers, 
and  the  rafters  are  to  be  cut  off  flush  with  top  plate,  and 
roof  boards  extended  four  or  five  inches  beyond  the  side 
wall  for  eaves.  Partitions  should  be  made  as  in  Fig.  53, 
which  also  gives  a -.general  idea  of  perch  construction, 
droppings  platform,  nests,  water  vessels,  etc.  Fig.  51 
shows  the  floor  plan.  Whether  the  concrete  floor  shall 
be  finished  level  with  the  top  of  the  foundation,  or 
dropped  two  or  three  inches  below,  as  in  Fig.  53,  is 
largely  a  matter  of  personal  preference.  Dropping  it  as 
shown  affords  some  additional  protection  for  the  sills  in 
damp  locations. 

To  build  this  house  (two  pens)  the  following  bill 
of  material  is  required — totalling  about  1,500  sq.  ft.  of 
lumber.  For  three  or  more  pens,  materials  will  have  to 
be  increased  proportionately. 

BILL,  OF  MATERIALS 

Size 
U»*  inch. 

Sills,   sides  2x4 

Sills,    ends   2x4 

Plates    2x4 

Studs,    front   2x4 

Studs,   ends  2x4 

Studs,      ends      and 

headers    2x4 

Studs,    partition 2x4 

Rafters   2x5 

Support     for    drop. 

plat.,    front    2x4 

Support     for    drop. 

plat.,    back    1x4 

Perches    ..       2x4 


FOR  12x18  FOOT 

Length  No.  of    Bd. 
Feet     Pieces  Meas. 
18          2          24 
12          2          19 

LAYING  HOUSE 

Remarks 

18 

2 

24 

14 

5 

47 

1    piece   cuts    2 

10 

5 

33 

1    piece   cuts    2 

14 

7 

54 

Cut  to   fit. 

14 

2 

19 

1    piece    cuts    2 

14 

10 

117 

18 


12 


18 
8 


6 
21 


Sills    for    windows..2x5 
Sills    for    shutter 
opening    .................  2x5 

Roof    boards    ...........  1x10 

T    &    G    siding  ..........  1x6 

Flooring  boards  for 

drop'gs    platform, 

doors,      partitions 

and    ceilings   ........  1x4 

Pacing,  casing,  etc..  1x4 
Outside  dr.  frame..lx5 
Frame  for  muslin 

shutter  ..................  1x3 

Strip  under  shut- 

ters   ........................  1x2% 

Strip    under   win- 

dows 
Strips    for    small 

doors   and    win's..  1x1 


280 
410 


185 
160 

20 

25 
8 
5 

25 


Upper  corners 

round,    surfaced 

four  sides. 
Surfaced  4  sides 

and  milled. 
Surfaced  4  sides 

and    milled. 


lin.    ft.    Surfaced 


2%    squares   prepared   roofing. 

4  plain  rail  window  sashes,   1^-in.,  6-light,   8xl2-in.  glass. 
40   sq.   ft.   1-inch   netting  for  doors  and  ventilators. 
30   sq.   ft.   muslin  for  curtains. 

4  anchor  bolts,    %x!2-in.   with   2-in.   washers   on   each   end. 

1  pr.    8-inch   T-strap   hinges   for   outside   door. 

1   pr.    6-inch    hinged    safety    hasps. 

1  pr.    2-way    spring   hinges   for   partition   door. 

4  pr.   2-inch   butt  hinges   for   muslin  frames  and  windows. 

2  pr.    4-inch    strap   hinges   for  ventilator  doors. 
2  chain   sash   adjusters. 


Use 


MATERIAL,  FOR  NESTS 

Size     Length   No.  Bd. 

PCS.  Meas. 
2          8 


Inch.  Feet 

Front    base    1x6 

Doors  '. 1x7  829 

Partitions   1x11  12          2        22 

Base,   back  1x4  825 

Strips  for  top  of  nests 1x2  823 

Bottom   boards   1x12  8          2        16 

Running  boards  1x4  825 

Uprights  1x4  12          1          1 

Brackets    1x3  824 

This  house  may  be  built  more  cheaply  by  omitting 
practically  all  studs  and  using  rough  boards  nailed  on  up 
and  down,  and  covering  the  outside  wall  with  a  good 
grade  of  prepared  roofing. 

A  concrete  foundation  and  floor  are  particularly  rec- 
ommended for  back-yard  flocks,  making  them  as  shown 
in  Fig.  11,  so  rats  will  be  completely  excluded.  The  house 
will  be  warm  and  dry  and  it  can  be  easily  cleaned  and  dis- 
infected. 


A-SHAPED  BACK-YARD  HOUSE 

This  A-Shaped  House  is  Neat  and  Inconspicuous.     Will 
Not  Be  Out  of  Place  On  Any  Back  Lawn. 

By    C.    C.    HOLMES 

Recently  we  moved  from  a  small  town  where  land  is 
plentiful  and  cheap,  to  a  large  city  where  poultry  raising 
is  almost  impossible  for  lack  of  proper  facilities,  and  it 
has  been  a  serious  problem  to  us  as  to  how  we  could 
overcome  the  difficulties. 

After  making  several  sketches  in  my  attempts  to  de- 
vise a  suitable  poultry  house  I  have  come  to  the  conclu- 
sion that  an  8x8-foot  house  such  as  is  illustrated  here, 
is  most  practical  for  the  back-yard  poultry  keeper  who 
has  to  live  within  city  limits.  It  is  convenient,  mod- 
erate in  cost,  quite  neat  in  appearance,  and  if  made  in 
sections  and  hinged  as  indicated,  may  readily  be  taken 
down  and  moved  to  a  new  location. 

As  the  accompanying  drawing  (Fig.  52),  is  quite  com- 
plete, it  will  not  be  necessary  to  go  extensively  into  de- 
tails. The  floor  plan  indicates  the  way  in  which  the  win- 
dows are  arranged  to  swing  in.  As  will  readily  be  noticed, 
the  droppings  board  does  not  extend  entirely  across  the 


FLOOFL  . 

QRAVELL    OR 
BROKEN    STONE.. 
FOUNDATION  -  " 


FIG.  53  —  PARTITION  FOR  TWO-PEN  BACK  TARD 
HOUSE 

This  is  a  good  type  of  partition  to  use  when  the 
laying  house  is  to  be  divided  into  two  or  more  pens. 
It  protects  the  fowls  from  drafts,  both  on  the  perches 
and  on  the  floor,  but  allows  free  circulation  of  air 
through  the  house.  Note  that  the  foundation  is  carried 
up  above  the  ground  level  and  the  cement  floor  is  thus 
making  it  warm  and  dry.  Floor  is  two  inches  below 
the  top  of  foundation  and  the  corners  are  rounded  to 
prevent  filth  collecting  at  this  point. 

back  of  the  building,  but  a  space  is  left  between  it  and 
the  side  walls  to  give  access  to  the  nests,  which  are 
reached  by  doors  opening  out  into  this  space.  There  are 
four  nests,  two  on  each  side,  and  the  hens  enter  them 
from  the  back,  under  the  droppings  board.  The  upper 
part  of  the  front  is  enclosed  only  with  poultry  netting  to 
be  covered  in  winter  with  muslin  or  cheese  cloth,  where 
winters  are  extremely  cold,  or  for  more  complete  pro- 
tection of  valuable  breeding  fowls  with  extra-large  combs. 

As  here  illustrated  this  house  is  to  be  built  in  sec- 
tions, held  together  by  means  of  hinges  and  hooks  as 
shown  in  detail  drawing  in  upper  right-hand  corner.  Un- 
less the  building  is  to  be  moved  long  distances,  however, 
it  will  be  stronger  and  more  durable  if  firmly  nailed  to- 
gether in  the  usual  way. 

There  was  enough  waste  allowed  to  build  the  drop- 
pings board,  the  nests,  etc.,  and  the  cost  of  material  at 
the  time  this  house  was  built  was  $13.00.  The  cost  of 


POULTRY  HOUSES  AND  FIXTURES 


ELZVAT/ON 

FIG.    54 — FRONT    OF    INEXPENSIVE    HOUSE    FOR 

BACK-YARD  FLOCK 

Reproduced   from    blue    print   furnished    by   Poultry    Div. 
of  U.   S.  Department  of  Agriculture. 

hardware  was  about  $6.00,  making  a  total  cost  for  my 
colony  house  about  $20.00.  At  war-time  prices  of  lum- 
ber and  hardware  this  house  could  not  be  built  for  that 
sum,  but  it  should  be  possible  for  any  one  to  approxi- 
mate it  under  fairly  normal  conditions. 

The  materials  required  for  a  colony  house  like  the 
•one  I  have  illustrated  are  as  follows: 

325   Sq.   Ft.   matched   flooring. 

Three  2x4's,  16  ft.  long. 

Four  2x2's,   8  ft.  long. 

Sixteen  Ix4's,   16  ft.  long. 

6   sq.  ft.    % -inch  wire  netting. 

8  pair  of  hinges. 

4  hooks  and   screw   eyes. 

10  Ibs.  of  nails. 

8   ft.   galvanized   iron   ridge. 

1  lock. 

3  sashes  glazed. 

Editor's  Note:  There  are  a  number  of  good  points 
.about  this  house  that  commend  it  to  the  back-yard  poul- 
try keeper.  One  of  particular  features  aimed  at  by  Mr. 
Holmes  was  to  make  the  house  attractive  in  appearance, 
but  inconspicuous.  In  this  he  has  been  quite  successful, 
producing  a  house  that  is  not  only  neat  and  trim,  but 
also  low  so  that  it  may  readily  be  hidden  by  shrubs  or 
vines  if  desired. 

One  good  feature  of  A-shaped  houses  in  general  is 
that,  in  proportion  to  the  floor  space  provided,  they  in- 
close a  smaller  number  of  cubic  feet  of  air  space  than 
houses  with  any  other  style  of  roof  affording  comfortable 
headroom.  This  means  that  less  material  is  required  to 


FND    ELEVATION 

FIG.  55 — END  ELEVATION  OF  HOUSE  FOR  BACK- 
YARD   FLOCK 

Reproduced    from   blue   print   furnished   by   Poultry   Div. 
of  U.   S.  Department  of  Agriculture. 


build  them,  also  that  they  will  be  warmer  in  winter, 
other  conditions  being  equal.  Incidentally,  this  makes 
A-shaped  houses  particularly  desirable  for  brooding  young 
chicks  early  in  the  season  when  ordinary  lamp-heated 
hovers  make  little  impression  on  the  general  room  tem- 
perature of  larger  buildings. 

There  are  some  difficulties  that  are  peculiar  to  A- 
shaped  houses,  such  as  weak  frames,  difficulty  in  locating 
perches,  nests,  etc.,  but  Mr.  Holmes  has  taken  care  of 
them  very  ingeniously.  A  few  additional  suggestions, 
however,  may  be  helpful  to  other  builders. 

The  plans  shown  in  Fig.  52  do  not  indicate  the  ex- 
act height  of  the  house  and  we  would  suggest  that  the 
roof  boards  be  cut  long  enough  so  that  the  ridge  will 
be  fully  7  feet  from  the  floor  (7y2  feet  is  better  still)  in 
order  to  give  sufficient  headroom  for  the  attendant.  The 
low  sides  of  the  A-shaped  house  will  not  be  particularly 
inconvenient  if  the  ridge  is  high  enough. 

The  front  is  always  the  weakest  place  in  these  houses 
and  particular  attention  should  be  paid  to  its  construc- 
tion. The  pieces  that  form  the  frame  of  the  door  should 
be  spiked  securely  to  the  floor,  and  the  tops  securely  tied 
together  by  a  short  piece  of  board.  It  is  a  misfortune 


f,^-.*.. T'rS;^' J/*>f-  .,,«  v,,  ,*-,~,^ 

j*  yvi^Bs^frwv'i         •^»-»vS3;j  L  IV^9I^*1  -     _J  .    ^&  5^.^pV 


SECTIOH 


HOUSE 


FIG.    56  —  CROSS    SECTION    OF    INEXPENSIVE    HOUSE 

FOR   BACK-YARD   FLOCK. 

Reproduced  from  blue  print  furnished  by  Poultry  Div. 
of  U.   S.   Dept.   of  Agriculture 

to  have  to  locate  nests  on  or  close  to  the  floor,  thus 
occupying  valuable  space,  as  has  been  done  in  this  plan, 
though  it  is  true  that  there  are  important  difficulties  in 
the  way  of  placing  them  higher  up.  One  method  of  sav- 
ing floor  space  often  employed  is  to  put  them  entirely 
on  the  outside  of  the  house.  An  additional  advantage  of 
outside  nests  is  that  the  eggs  then  can  be  gathered  with- 
out entering  the  house.  If  this  plan  is  adopted,  the 
work  must  be  carefully  done  to  insure  'that  the  nests 
will  be  storm-proof.  In  this  house  our  preference  would 
be  to  locate  them  in  the  rear,  with  suitable  ,  openings  for 
the  entrance  of  the  fowls,  under  the  droppings  platform. 
Outside  nests  should  always  be  fastened  in  place  with 
hooks  so  that  they  may  be  easily  removed  for  cleaning. 

No  matter  how  much  of  the  front  of  A-shaped  houses 
is  left  open  there  is  little  movement  of  the  air  in  the 
back  part  in  warm  weather,  for  which  reason  they  are 
liable  to  be  uncomfortably  hot  at  this  season.  This  dif- 
ficulty may  be  overcome  by  providing  a  small  door  or 
window  in  the  rear.  An  opening  12  to  18  inches  square 
close  up  to  the  ridge,  to  be  kept  tightly  closed  in  win- 
ter but  open  in  warm  weather,  will  add  greatly  to  the 
comfort  of  the  fowls. 


ECONOMICAL  BACK  YARD  POULTRY  HOUSES 


33 


INEXPENSIVE  BACK  YARD  POULTRY  HOUSE 

This   House  is  Especially  Planned  to  Secure  Low  Cost. 

Is  About  As  Inexpensive  As  it  is  Worth  While 

to  Try  to  Build. 

A  plan  for  a  small  house  that  can  be  built  about  as 
cheaply  as  it  is  worth  while  to  build  at  all,  is  shown  in 
Figs.  54  to  57.  This  house  was  designed  by  the  Poultry 
Division,  U.  S.  Department  of  Agriculture.  It  is  8x8 
feet  and  will  comfortably  accommodate  10  to  15  fowls, 
or  even  20  with  a  little  crowding.  Such  a  house,  prop- 
erly constructed  of  good  materials,  will  be  servicable  for 
many  years  with  little  cost  for  repairs. 


K- 


8-    o" 


t',a"    '#a<nn 


DA  QPPlN  &  -  &  OA/fO 


DfKT   fL  00/9 


OD 


FL  OOR 

FIG.   57 — FLOOR   PLAN  OF  INEXPENSIVE   HOUSE   FOR 

BACK-YARD  FLOCK 

Reproduced    from    blue    print    furnished    by   Poultry   Div. 
of  U.   S.   Department  of  Agriculture 

The  average  person  will  find  it  desirable  to  make 
both  front  and  back  six  inches  to  one  foot  higher  than 
as  shown  in  plan,  and  if  the  house  is  intended  to  be 
portable  it  will  be  much  better  to  put  in  a  board  floor. 
If  to  be  used  in  a  damp  location  a  board  or  concrete 
floor  is  a  necessity. 

Where  the  2  inch  strips  used  in  covering  the  cracks 
are  expensive  or  hard  to  get,  as  is  often  the  case,  it  is 
better  to  omit  them  and  cover  the  walls  on  the  outside 
with  a  good  grade  of  prepared  roofing.  In  cold  climates 
it  will  pay  to  provide  one  six-light  glass  sash  in  the 
front  or  at  one  end,  to  light  the  house  on  dark  days 
or  when  the  muslin  shutter  must  be  left  closed  on  ac- 
count of  severe  cold. 

The  only  really  esential  fixtures  for  this  house  are 
perches,  droppings  board,  and  nests.  It  will  pay,  how- 
ever, to  provide  a  feeding  platform  also,  where  the  water 
vessel,  dry  mash,  grit  and  shell  hoppers  may  be  located. 
The  width  and  length  of  this  platform  will  depend  upon 
the  dimension  of  the  vessels  or  hoppers  used,  but  should 
be  roomy  enough  to  give  the  fowls  convenient  access  to 
them.  It  should  be  about  two  feet  above  the  floor  so 
that  there  will  be  scratching  room  underneath  and  so 
that  litter  will  not  be  thrown  into  the  vessels.  Those 
who  have  not  tried  elevating  the  water  and  food  hold- 
ers can  hardly  realize  how  much  time  and  trouble  is 
saved  by  so  doing. 


Ill  1,1,   OF  MATERIALS 

The  following  list  includes  everything-  needed  to  build 
this  house  as  here  described: 

8   brick,    stone,    or   concrete    block   piers,   or    solid   concrete 
foundation. 

4  pieces   2   in.   x   4   in.   8   ft.    long,   for  sills. 

3   pieces  2  in.  x  4  in.  10  ft.  long,  for  corner  studs  and  msls. 

5  pieces   2   in.   x   4   in.   tO   ft.   long,   for. rafters. 

5   pieces   2   in.   x   3   in.   8   ft.   long,   for   perches,   drop   board, 

supports,  etc. 
275   feet,    bd.   meas.    %    in.   x   12    in.   boards,    surfaced    2    sides, 

for  walls,    sheathing  and    nests. 

25   feet   bd.   meas.    %    in.   x   4   in.   flooring  boards,    for   drop- 
pings  platform. 
150   lin.    ft.    %    in.   x   2    in.    strips   for   cracks. 

75   sq.   ft.    prepared   roofing. 

ISO   sq.   ft.    %-in.   mesh   poultry   netting,   for   windows. 
1   pr.   T-strap   hinges,   for   outside   door. 
1   8    inch   hasp. 

1   pr.    2^-inch    butt   hinges,    for   muslin   shutter. 
1   pr.    4-inch   s-trap   hinges,    for   perch    support. 
1   pr.   6-inch   strap   hinges,   for  ventilator. 
12   2-inch  hooks   and   eyes. 
Nails,    tacks,    staples,    paint,    etc. 

About  the  cheapest  and  simplest  nests  that  can  be 
installed  are  made  of  orange  boxes  as  illustrated  in  Chap- 
ter X,  but  a  better  way  is  to  build  the  nests  substantially, 
of  good  smooth  lumber,  and  place  them  under  the  drop- 
pings board  (see  Figs.  116  and  120),  where  they  will 
occupy  no  floor  space,  will  keep  clean,  and  will  afford  a 
degree  of  much-desired  seclusion  for  the  layers. 

Preventing   Drafts   in    Small    Houses 

Back-yard  poultry  keepers  often  find  difficulty  in 
protecting  fowls  on  the  roost  from  drafts  or  air  currents 
in  cold,  stormy  weather,  particularly  when  the  wind  is 
blowing  more  or  less  directly  against  the  front.  This 
is  due  to  the  fact  that  their  houses  usually  are  small  and 
narrow,  and  the  fowls  consequently  are  close  to  the  win- 
dows or  other  openings.  This  is  one  reason  why  it  is  Cus- 
tomary to  keep  the  shutters  or  curtains  closed  in  much 
milder  weather  than  is  necessary  or  desirable  in  houses 
of  standard  depth — that  is,  16  feet  wide  or  over. 

Houses  of  this  type  are  greatly  improved  for  winter 
use  by  the  provision  of  some  means  of  adjusting  the  size 
of  the  open  front  to  meet  varying  weather  conditions. 
The  muslin-covered  shutters  commonly  employed  admit 
of  no  adjustment,  but  must  either  be  left  wide  open  or 
closed  tight.  One  method  of  providing  for  this  adjust- 
ment is  to  make  the  shutter  in  two  sections  as  shown  on 
page  77,  so  that  the  upper  section  may  be  opened  while 
the  lower  one  remains  closed,  or  both  may  be  opened 
together  when  desired.  Another  way  is  to  arrange  the 
shutter  to  slide  up  and  down  on  the  outside,  working  in 
grooves  on  each  side  of  the  opening,  as  provided  in  the 
house  front  illustrated  in  Fig.  125,  on  page  68.  This  shut- 
ter can  be  adjusted  to  give  an  opening  of  any  desired  size, 
being  held  in  place  by  a  hook  which  engages  the  wire 
netting  back  of  the  shutter. 

Whatever  method  of  ventilation  is  adopted,  if  it  per- 
mits air  currents  to  follow  down  the  rafters  and  strike 
directly  upon  the  fowls  on  the  perches,  a  screen  should 
be  provided.  This  may  take  the  form  of  a  stationary 
shutter  in  front  of  the  perches,  or  it  may  be  hinged  at 
the  top  to  hook  up  out  of  the  way  when  not  needed.  Fre- 
quently it  is  more  convenient  to  provide  a  curtain  at- 
tached to  a  pole,  to  be  allowed  to  hang  straight  down  from 
the  ceiling  when  in  use,  and  rolled  up  and  fastened  to  the 
rafters  when  not  needed. 

Light-weight  burlap  is  the  best  material  to  use  for 
this  purpose,  as  it  will  -prevent  drafts  without  restrict- 
ing ventilation  to  a  marked  extent.  The  purpose  of  this 
screen  is  not  to  keep  the  fowls  warm,  but  merely  to  pro- 
tect them  from  drafts,  and  for  this  reason  it  should  not 
extend  lower  than  about  the  level  of  the  front  perch,  and 
should  be  employed  only  when  actually  needed. 


CHAPTER     III 


Houses  for  Commercial  Laying  Flocks 

Advantages  of  Curtain-Front  and  Open-Front  Houses  for  Laying  Flocks— Muslin  Curtains  the  Best  Known  Means  of 
Securing  Good  Ventilation  Without  Discomfort  to  Fowls— Plans  for  Building  Single  Compartment 
Houses  at  Moderate  Cost — Suggestions  for  Special  Low-Cost  Construction. 


curtains  hooked  up  and  doors  between  sheds  and  p« 
open.  When  it  begins  to  freeze  at  night,  close  the  cur- 
tains in  front  of  the  sfieds,  but  still  leave  doors  between 
pens  and  sheds  open.  These  doors  (including  slide  door), 
are  never  closed  excepting  on  nights  of  severe  cold, 
say  five  to  twenty  degrees  above  zero;  for  zero  nights 
close  all  doors  and  windows,  also  the  curtains  in  front 
of  roosts.  To  keep  the  fowls  enclosed  when  the  curtains 
are  raised,  cover  the  front  of  shed  with  wire  netting.  The 
doors  from  sheds  to  pens  swing  into  the  pens  and  are, 
of  course,  out  of  the  way  of  the  curtains." 

The  Maine  Station  Hotise 

While  conditions  in  scratching-shed  houses  were 
greatly  improved  as  compared  with  those  of  the  closed- 
front  type,  poultrymen  were  not  long  in  discovering  that 


HE  type  of  house  commonly  described  by  the  term 

"open-front"   is   generally    conceded    to    be    best 

suited  to  the  requirements  of  the  laying  flock  and 

is  now  used,  almost  exclusively,  by  practical  poul- 
try keepers  in  all  parts  of  the  world,  from  the  tropics  to 
the  far  north.  When  properly  designed  and  constructed, 
such  houses  are  dry  and  comfortable,  affording  the  great- 
est degiee  of  warmth  that  can  be  secured  without  re- 
stricting ventilation  to  an  injurious  extent.  Ventilation 
may  readily  and  quickly  be  adjusted  to  meet  changing 
weather  conditions,  and  the  houses  are  simple  and  com- 
paratively inexpensive  in  construction. 

The  term  "open-front,"  in  common  usage,  is  applied 
indiscriminately  to  all  houses   having  extensive   openings 
in  the  front  wall,  whether  provided  with  muslin  shutters 
or   curtains,   or   protected   simply  by   means   of  wire   net- 
ting.    The     great    majority    of    these 
houses,    however,    have     muslin     cur- 
tains or  shutters    for    additional  pro- 
tection in  severe  cold  or  storms,  and 
it  will  be  less  confusing  to  speak  of 
such     as     "curtain-front"    houses,    re- 
serving "open-front"  for  the  type  of 
house  having  no  such  protection. 

The  Scratching  Shed  House 

The  curtain-front  house  was  devel- 
oped as  the  direct  result  of  efforts  to 
find  some  means  of  overcoming  the 
serious  objections  to  the  old-style, 
warm,  glass-front  houses,  to  which 
reference  is  made  on  page  5.  Dur- 
ing the  transition  period  a  typepIQ  53— NEW  ENGLAND  SCRATCHING  SHED  HOUSE— FORE-RUNNER  OF 
known  as  the  scratching-shed  house  THE  MODERN  CURTAIN-FRONT  HOUSE 

attained  some  measure  of  popularity, 

chiefly  in  New  England  States.     It  had  'some  advantages      the  close,  poorly  ventilated  roosting  room  had  little  prac- 
over  the  older  type,  but  it  was  soon  replaced  by  the  cur-      tical  value  and  in  use  proved  to  be  only  an  added  compli- 


CURTAINKD  -FRONT- 

.,Hi—f— 

il                 :: 

HEO 

1  a  ' 

*-  -  ' 

10    X       JO 

KOOSTIHO  ROOM 

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I 

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tain-front  house.  One  of  the  best  of  these  houses  is 
illustrated  in  Fig.  58,  and  is  thus  described  by  the  de- 
signer, the  veteran  A.  F.  Hunter: 

"The  plans  here  given  are   for  a  continuous  poultry 


cation  as  well  as  a  needless  expense.  From  this  it  was 
only  a  short  step  to  the  general  type  of  house  now  in 
common  use. 

No  single  individual  can  lay  claim  to  having  given  the 


house  with  alternating  pens  and  sheds,  the  sheds  having  poultry     world     the     open-front     or    curtain-front    house, 

curtained  fronts  and  all  the  space  within  the  house  being  However,  one  of  the  first  houses  of  this  type  was  built 

utilized  by  the  fowls.     Each  combined  pen  and  shed  is  18  at  the  Maine  Experiment  Station,  and  it  served  for  years 

by  10  feet,  the  shed  being  10  by  10  feet  and  the  closed  as  a  model  for  others  in  all  parts  of  the  country.     This 


roosting  pen  being  8  by  10  feet,  affording  room  sufficient 
for  25  fowls  of  the  American  or  30  of  the  Mediterranean 
varieties.  No  walk  is  required,  because  the  walk  is 


house   is    illustrated   in    Fig.    59.      The    following   descrip- 
tion of  it  is  condensed  from  a  Maine  Station  Bulletin: 
"This  building  was  erected  in  1903  and  is  14  feet  wide 


through  gates  and  doors,  from  shed  to  pen  and  pen  to      an(j  150  feet  long.     The  back  wall  is  5  feet  6  inches  high 


shed,  and  so  on  to  the  end  of  the  house. 


from  floor  to  top  of  plate  inside,  and  the  front  wall  is  6 


"The  ventilation  (so  much  desired)  is  varied,  and  can  feet  9  inches  high.     The  roof  is  of  unequal  span,  the  ridge 

be   adapted   to   the   different    seasons   in   half-a-dozen   dif-  being  4  feet  from  the  front  wall.     The  height  of  the  ridge 

ferent  ways.     In  summer  the  doors  and  windows  are  all  above  the  floor  is  9  feet.     The  sills  are  4  by  6  inches  and 

wide    open    and   the    curtains'  are    hooked    up   against   the  rest    on   a    rough    stone   wall    laid    on    the    surface    of   the 

roof  out  of  the  way.     (It  is  understood  that  the  doors  be-  ground.     A  central  sill  gives  support  to  the  floor,  which 

tween  two  pens  are  never  left  open;  they  are  always  kept  at   times   is    quite   heavily   loaded   with    sand.     The   floor 

closed  except  when    opened    for    the    attendant    to    pass  timbers  are  2  by  8  inches  and  are  placed  two  feet  apart, 

through.)     When  the  nights  begin  to  be  real  frosty  in  the  The  floor  is  two  thicknesses  of  hemlock  boards.     All  of 

fall,  close  the  windows  in  front   of  pens,  but  leave  shed  the  rest  of  the  frame  is  of  2  by  4-inch  stuff.     The  building 


HOUSES  FOR  COMMERCIAL  LAYING  FLOCKS 


35 


is  boarded,  papered  and  shingled  on  roof  and  walls.  The 
rear  wall  and  four  feet  of  the  lower  part  of  the  rear  roof 
are  ceiled  on  the  inside  of  the  studding  and  plates,  and 
are  packed,  very  hard,  with  dry  sawdust.  In  order  to 
make  the  sawdust  packing  continuous  between  the  wall 
and  roof,  the  wall  ceiling  is  carried  up  to  within  six 
inches  of  the  plate,  then  follows  up  inclining  pieces  of 
studding  to  the  rafters.-  The  short  pieces  of  studding  are 
nailed  to  the  studs  or  rafters.  By  this  arrangement  there 
are  no  slack  places  around  the  plate  to  admit  cold  air.  The 
end  walls  are  packed  in  the  same  way.  The  house  is  divided 
by  close  board  partitions  into  seven  20-foot  sections,  and 
one  10-foot  section  is  reserved  at  the  lower  end  for  a 
feed  storage  room. 

"Each  of  the  20-foot  sections  has  two  12-light  out- 
side windows  screwed  onto  the  front,  and  the  space  be- 
tween the  windows,  which  is  eight  feet  long  and  three 
feet  wide,  down  from  the  plate,  is  covered  during  rough 
winter  storms  and  cold  nights  by  a  light  frame,  covered 
with  10-ounce  duck,  closely  tacked  on.  This  door,  or  cur- 
tain, is  hinged  at  top  and  swings  in  and  up  to  the  roof 
when  open." 

After  giving  the  house  a  thorough  and  severe  win- 
ter's test,  Prof.  Gowell,  who  was  in  charge  of  the  Poultry 
Department  at  the  Maine  Station  at  that  time,  wrote  re- 
garding it  as  follows: 

"I  wish  I  had  delayed  writing  the  bulletin  till  now, 
for  we  have  just  gotten  through  the  coldest  weather 
ever  known  in  this  section  and  the  cloth-front  house  has 
proved  itself  equal  to  the  demands  made  upon  it.  The 
300  pullets  were  not  put  in  *  *  *  until  December  6th, 
but  by  the  end  of  that  month  they  had  gotten  under  way 
and  increased  every  week  regularly  in  egg  production  all 
through  January  and  February,  and  have  laid  from  160 
to  180  eggs  every  day  this  month.  They  came  down  from 
the  perches  and  engaged  in  digging  a  breakfast  out  of 
the  straw  litter  in  a  way  that  showed  that  life  was  worth 
living.  Every  head  was  blood  red.  There  has  not  been 
even  a  snuffle  heard  or  seen  in  that  house." 

The  above  description  was  written  a  good  many 
years  ago.  but,  in  the  main,  it  fairly  represents  the  exper- 
ience of  poultrymen  generally  with  the  curtain-front 
house,  other  conditions  being  equal.  It  should  be  noted 
in  this  connection,  however,  that  while  in  this  particular 
house  10-ounce  duck  was  used  for  the  shutters,  poultry 
keepers  generally  consider  a  good  grade  of  unbleached 
muslin  amply  heavy  for  the  purpose. 


CURTAIN  FRONT  LAYING  HOUSE  FOR  100  FOWLS 

A  Practical  House  for  Commercial  or  Farm  Flocks.    Is 

Well  Ventilated,  Convenient  and  Comfortable 

for  the  Fowls. 

There  is  no  room  for  argument  over  the  statement 
that  hens  will  give  better  average  production  when  housed 
in  comparatively  small  flocks.  The  experience  of  practical 
poultry  keepers,  however,  is  that  the  saving  in  labor 
which  results  from  keeping  hens  in  large  flocks  more 
than  offsets  the  decreased  production  resulting  from  this 
practice.  The  point  at  which  lower  labor  cost  is  met  and 
overbalanced  by  decrease  in  production  has  never  been 
clearly  determined,  but  the  general  practice  among  egg 
producers  is  to  keep  fowls  of  the  large  breeds,  such  as 
Plymouth  Rocks,  Wyandottes,  etc.,  in  flocks  of  about  100. 
On  large  commercial  egg  farms,  where  Leghorns  are  kept, 
this  number  often  is  greatly  exceeded,  flocks  of  500  being 
common. 

To  provide  sufficient  room  for  100  hens  there  should 
be  about  400  square  feet  of  floor  space.  This  require- 
ment is  approximately  met  by  the  house  here  illustrated 
and  described,  which  is  16x24  feet.  In  its  general  out- 
lines it  meets  the  requirements  of  the  average  poultry 
keeper  to  an  unusual  degree.  For  houses  of  moderate 
size,  a  width  of  sixteen  feet  is  almost  invariably  preferred, 
and  there  are  sound  practical  reasons  for  doing  so.  A 
house  much  narrower  than  sixteen  feet  brings  the  perches 
too  close  to  the  front,  and  the  hens  on  the  perches  are 
exposed  to  direct  currents  of  air  when  the  curtains  are 
open.  Narrow  houses  cost  more  to  build  than  those  of 
medium  width  and  are  more  difficult  to  care  for.  On  the 
other  hand,  extremely  wide  houses  call  for  heavier  fram- 
ing timbers  and  more  bracing.  In  long  compartment 
houses  a  width  greater  than  sixteen  feet  often  is  consid- 
ered desirable,  but  it  is  of  no  advantage  in  single-pen 
houses.  Even  for  use  on  commercial  farms  where  ex- 
tremely large  flocks  are  the  rule,  there  are  many  who  pre- 
fer buildings  not  over  sixteen  feet  in  width.  The  gen- 
eral plans,  with  all  needed  dimensions,  etc.,  are  shown 
in  Figs.  60,  61,  62  and  63. 

The  details  of  lighting  and  ventilation  in  this  house 
are  planned  to  meet  the  requirements  of  cold  climates, 
but  these  .can  readily  be  modified  to  suit  a  wide  range  of 
climatic  conditions.  Where  extreme  cold  is  to  be  ex- 
pected, it  will  be  found  desirable  to  reduce  the  size  of  the 
curtains  and  increase  somewhat  the  amount  of  glass  pro- 
vided. In  warmer  climates  glass  windows  will  be  omitted 


PIG.    59 — THE    HISTORICAL    MAINE     STATION    CURTAIN-  FRONT  HOUSE 

The  curtain-front  house  shown  in  above  illustration  was  one  of  the  first  houses  of  this  type  to  be  built.  It  has 
been  in  successful  use  at  the  Maine  Experiment  Station  for  many  years.  Note  raised  platform  in  front  of  the  build- 
ing, which  takes  the  place  of  an  inside  passageway. 


36 


POULTRY  HOUSES  AND  FIXTURES 


and  the  curtains  made  larger,  possibly  substituting  frame- 
less  folding  curtains,  as  shown  in  Fig.  89,  in  place  of 
hinged  shutters.  In  the  extreme  south  the  curtains  also 
may  be  dispensed  with  and  the  entire  front  left  open. 

The    estimated    capacity    of    100    hens    is    based    on    a 


FIG.  60- 


If  milled  sills   for  the  windows  and  curtains  can  not 
readily  be  secured,  they  may  be  made  of  ordinary  2x5  or 
2x6-inch  lumber,  setting  them  to  slope  outward.     Do  not 
use   one-inch  material  here,   as  is  often   done.     Such   sills 
soon  warp  and  split  and  must  be  replaced  in  a  short  time 
if  the   building  is  to  be  kept  in  good 
repair.      It    is    a    common    error,    es- 
pecially  among    beginners    and   those 
who  are  doing    their    own    carpenter 
work,  to  try  to  effect  petty  economies 
or  to  do  careless,  hasty  work  in  con- 
nection with  these  minor  details,  re- 
sulting in    defective    construction 
which,  allows   deterioration   to   set   in 
almost    as    soon     as     the     building   is 
completed.    Like  a  chain,  the  poultry 
house  is  no  stronger  than  its  weakest 

FRONT  ELEVATION  OF  CURTAIN-FRONT  HOUSE  FOR  100  HENS          pomt>  and  whether  the  annual  depre- 
ciation  on   it   is   to   be   ten   per   cent, 


15 


floor  allowance  of  four  square  feet  per  hen.  When  Leg- 
horns are  kept,  and  in  mild  .climates  where  the  fowls 
seldom  need  to  be  confined  to  the  house,  this  number  may 
be  increased  25  per  cent  or  .more. 

Most  of  the  details  of  construction  in  this  plan,  such 
as  building  up  foundation  and  floor,  window  and  door 
framing,  rafter  cutting,  etc.,  will  be  found  fully  illustrated 
and  described  in  Chapter  I,  pages  13  to  24,  which  the 
builder  is  urged  to  read  carefully  before  undertaking  the 
construction  of  any  poultry  house,  small  or  large. 

A  concrete  foundation  and  floor  are  recommended, 
as  they  undoubtedly  are  most  economical  in  the  long  run. 
No  special  skill  is  required  in  doing  concrete  work,  and 
where  the  sand  and  gravel  or  stone  are  readily  obtain- 
able, it  is  comparatively  inexpensive.  Even  where  pro- 
fessional labor  is  employed,  or  the  work  regularly  con- 
tracted for,  the  cost  will  be  repaid  in  a  few  years  in  the 
saving  of  labor  which  will  be  effected  in  the  daily  care 
of  the  building,  and  in  the  much  lower  rate  of  depre- 
ciation. 

As    here    planned,    this    house    is    framed    with    single 

sills  and  rafter  plates;  studs  and  raft-  .. 

ers  are  two  feet  on  centers,  and  the 
walls  are  covered  with  a  good  grade 
of  six-inch  tongue-and-groove  siding. 
The  roof  is  sheathed  with  ordinary 
roofing  boards,  which  should  be  sur- 
faced on  both  sides,  if  such  are  ob- 
tainable without  too  great  additional 
cost.  They  may  be  of  No.  2  grade 
or  No.  2  common,  as  they  are  to  be 
covered  with  fairly  heavy  prepared 
roofing.  No  lining  or  ceiling  is  pro- 
vided except  about  the  perches. 

Whether  to  use  tongue-and-groove 
siding,  or  rough  boards  to  be  covered 
with  prepared  roofing,  is  largely  a 
matter  of  individual  preference  or 
necessity.  Where  rough  boards  are 
used,  they  generally  are  nailed  on  up 
and  down,  omitting  most  of  the  wall 
studs,  as  shown  on  page  17.  The 
omission  of  studs  and  the  use  of 
cheap  siding  that  could  not  be  util- 
ized without  an  outside  covering,  may  effect  an  important 
saving  in  cost.  If  regular  grades  of  lumber  are  to  be 
bought,  however,  it  will  be  found  that  boards  covered 
with  roofing  will  cost  more  than  T  &  G  siding  and  a 
house  so  constructed  will  depreciate  more  rapidly,  be- 
sides being  unsightly  at  all  times. 


five  per  cent  often  depends  upon  whether  such  details  as 
the  window  sills,  for  example,  have  received  proper 
attention. 

The  boards  for  the  droppings  platform  are  cut  to  run 
the  short  way  of  the  platform  and  are  nailed  securely  to 
2x4-inch  stringers,  front  and  rear.  The  platform  is  sup- 
ported in  front  on  2x4  posts  spaced  about  eight  feet  apart. 
These  platforms  sometimes  are  made  in  movable  sections 
so  that  they  can  be  taken  out  for  cleaning  and  disinfect- 
ing. The  advantage  of  being  able  to  do  this  is  more 
theoretical  than  actual,  however,  and  the  boards  ordinar- 
jly  are  nailed.  In  fastening  them  in  place,  do  not  drive 
them  up  tight  together,  but  leave  room  for  them  to  swell, 
as  they  are  certain  to  do  when  the  house  is  in  use.  Where 
this  precaution  is  neglected  the  platform  will  buckle  and 
pull  many  of  the  boards  loose,  necessitating  repairs  in  a 
short  time. 

The  construction  of  perches,  nests,  etc.,  will  readily 
be  understood  from  the  plans  shown  herewith,  but  are 
illustrated  and  described  in  detail  in  Chapter  X.  If  plat- 
form nests  are  preferred  instead  of  wall  nests,  directions 


H  •  •  a  ® 


J —        U 


H  HE 


FIG.    61 — FLOOR  PLAN   OF  ITKTAIX-FRONT   HOUSE   FOR   100   HENS 


for  building  them  will  also  be  found  in  that  chapter,  like- 
wise directions  for  building  trap-nests,  and  bill  of  ma- 
terials needed.  Hinged  yard  doors  may  be  substituted  for 
sliding  doors  if  preferred,  hinging  them  to  swing  out 
rather  than  in,  as  a  rule. 

The  bill   of  materials   given   includes   everything   nee- 


HOUSES  FOR  COMMERCIAL  LAYING  FLOCKS 


37 


essary  to  build  this  house,  with  a  reasonable  allowance  for 
shrinkage  in  the  lumber  estimates.  On  the  average  place, 
however,  there  are  always  a  number  of  uses  for  good 
lumber  when  it  is  at  hand,  and  it  usually  happens  that 
boards  are  taken  for  various  purposes  not  contemplated 
in  the  original  plan.  It  is  advisable,  therefore,  to  add  a 
little  to  net  estimates  to  meet  these  requirements. 

Materials  for  the  -concrete  foundation  and  floor  are 
estimated  on  the  basis  of  a  six-inch  wall,  two  and  one-half 
feet  from  bottom  to  top.  The  floor  is  to  be  three  inches 
thick,  with  a  four-inch  layer  of  insulating  material. 

BILL,   OF  MATERIALS   FOR  HOUSE  FOR   100  HENS 

Use  Sfze 

Inches 

Sills,    sides    2x4 

Sills,    ends    2x4 

Rafter    plates    2x4 

Studs     front    2x4 

Studs,    back    2x4 

Studs,   ends   and   misc.  2x4 

Rafters   2x6 

Stringers  for  drop- 
pings platform 2x4 

Perches    2x4 

Sills   for    windows 2x5 

Sills    for    curtains 2x5 

Roof    boards'      %xlO 

T    &    G    siding %x6 

Flooring  for  ceiling, 
droppings  platform 
and  door"  %x4 

Door    frame    %x5 

Trim    lumber    %x4 

Curtain    frame    %x2^ 

Strip   under   shutter....  %x2 14 

Strip  under  window... .%xl% 

Weather  strips  for 
windows  &  doors.. ..%x% 


Length  No.  of 

Feet  Pieces 

12  4 

16  2 

12  4 

16  6 
10 
16 


18 


12 
13 


Remarks 


One  piece  cuts  2. 
One  piece  cuts  2. 
Cut  to  fit. 


12  4 

12  6 

1         One    piece    cuts    2. 

12  1         One    piece    cuts    2. 

500   ft.   bd.  meas.  Sfcd.  2  sides 
600   ft.   bd.  meas. 


400   ft.   bd.   meas. 


16  lin.  ft. 

200  lin.  ft. 

40  lin.  ft. 

12  lin.  ft. 

10  lin.  ft. 


Surfaced  4  sides. 

Surfaced  4  sides. 

Surfaced  4  sides. 

Surfaced  4  sides. 

Surfaced  4  sides. 


30  lin.  ft.       Surfaced    4    sides. 

5  squares    prepared    roofing. 

6  window    sashes,    l^-inch,    6    lights,    8xl2-inch    glass. 

80   sq.    ft.    1-inch    mesh    poultry    netting    for    curtains    and 

windows. 

30   sq.    ft.    heavy   unbleached    muslin   for    curtains. 
'  6  anchor  bolts,  %x!2  inches,  with  2  2-in.  washers  for  each. 
1   pr.    T-strap   hinges   for   outside   door. 

1  hasp   for   outside   door. 

2  pr.    2% -inch   butt   hinges   for    shutters. 

3  pr.    2-inch    butt   hinges    for   windows. 

2   pr.   3-inch  strap  hinges  for  rear  ventilators. 

2  pr.  4-inch  strap  hinges  for  perches. 
10  2-inch  screw  hooks  and  eyes. 

6  ft.   chain   for   sash   holders. 

1  box  4-oz.  carpet  tacks  for  curtains. 
14  lb.  double-pointed  tacks  for  netting. 
Nails  and  paint. 

MATERIAL,    FOR    FOUNDATION    AND    FLOOR 

57   bags   Portland    cement. 
140   cu.    ft.    sand. 

250   cu.    ft.    crushed    stone   or   gravel. 
140   cu.    ft.    cinders    or    stone    for    insulation. 

MATERIAL    FOR   WALL    NESTS — 3    SETS 

(See  Chapter  X) 

Top    boards    %xlO   inches  30   lin.   ft. 

Back    boards    %xlO   inches  50   lin.   ft. 

Sides    %x7     inches  40   lin.   ft. 

Bottoms    %x8     inches  30   lin.   ft. 

Bottoms    %x7     inches  30   lin.   ft. 

Running    boards    %x6     inches  30   lin.   ft. 


FIG.    63 — END   ELEVATION   OF  100-HEN  HOUSE 

Partitions    %x7  inches          25   lin.   ft. 

Front   boards,   bottom   %x4  inches          30   lin.   ft. 

Front  boards,   top  %x2  inches          30   lin.   ft. 

Support    for    running    boards %x4  inches          25   lin.   ft. 

Strips    %x78  inches          25   lin.   ft. 

All    boards    to    be    surfaced    two    sides. 
6   pr.   1-inch  butt  hinges. 
12   2-inch  screw  hooks  and  eyes. 

MATERIAL   FOR   PLATFORM    NESTS 

If  platform  nests  are  preferred  instead  of  wall  nests, 
the  following  material  will  be  required  for  4  sets  of  five 
nests  each: 


Use 


FIG.    62 — CROSS   SECTION    OF    HOUSE    FOR    100    HENS 


Size  Length       No.  of 

Inches  Feet         Pieces 

Door   %x7  12  2 

Front    strip    %x6  12  2 

Bottom    %x!2  12  2 

Rear   strip,    bottom   %x4  12  2 

Top    strips    %x2  12  4 

Partitions   %xll  10  3 

Running    board    %x6  12  2 

Brackets    %x4  8  5 

All  boards  to  be   surfaced  two  sides. 
4    pr.    2% -inch    T-strap    hinges. 
For  bill   of  materials   for  trap-nests   see   Chapter  X. 

Building  Temporary  Houses 

The  poultry  keeper  who  has  only  a  limited  amount 
to  invest  in  his  poultry  house  often  finds  it  necessary 
to  omit  some  features  that  otherwise  would  be  consid- 
ered desirable  and  important.  Where  this  is  necessary 
the  plan  just  given  can  be  reduced  to  simpler  terms,  and 
still  cheaper  construction  provided  for.  If  this  is  done 
it  must  not  be  expected  that  the  house  will  prove  as  con- 
venient or  as  permanent  as  a  more  expensive  house,  but 
it  may  still  be  made  comfortable  for  the  fowls. 

One  of  the  first  steps  in  reducing  cost  is  to  provide 
a  post  foundation  and  dirt  floor.  The  foundation  may 
consist  of  posts  of  some  durable  material  such  as  cedar, 
locust,  or  chestnut.  These  should  be  3  "feet  long  and 
set  8  feet  apart  with  about  6  inches  projecting  above  the 
ground.  The  sills  are  to  be  spiked 
directly  to  the  face  of  the  posts 
with  top  of  sill  2  inches  above  top 
of  post  and  the  enclosed  space 
filled  in  with  earth  'or  sand  to  the 
top  of  the  sill.  If  at  all  possible, 
it  is  recommended  that  a  concrete 
or  stone  foundation  be  provided 
instead  of  posts,  as  wooden  sills 
cannot  be  expected  to  last  more 
than  a  few  years  when  in  direct 
contact  with  the  ground,  and  it  is 
a  difficult  and  expensive  operation 
to  replace  them. 

Plain  boards  of  cheap  grade  may  . 
be  used  for  siding,  nailing  them 
up  and  down  as  shown  in  Fig. 
19  on  page  17,  which  does  away 
with  the  necessity  for  studs  ex- 
cept at  the  corners,  middle  of  each 


38 


POULTRY  HOUSES  AND  FIXTURES 


end  and  at  6-foot  intervals  on  the  sides — enough  sim- 
ply to  stiffen  the  frame  and  give  something  substantial 
to  which  to  nail  plates  and  stringers.  The  ceiling 
around  the  perches  may  be  omitted,  also  the  droppings 
platform.  Instead  of  the  latter  set  up  a  10-inch  board 


FIG.     64 — CROSS     SECTION     OF     COMPARTMENT     LAYING 
HOUSE   FOR  COMMERCIAL,  FLOCKS 

on  the  floor,  about  12  inches  in  front  of  the  first 
perch  and  extending  the  entire  length  of  the  house. 
This  will  confine  the  droppings  under  the  perches  and 
keep  them  out  of  the  litter.  For  nests,  orange  boxes 
may  be  used  (see  Chapter  X),  fastening  them  to  the  wall 
by  means  of  screw  hooks  or  pieces  of  wire  bent  over 
nails  so  that  they  may  be  readily  removed  for  cleaning. 
Perches  may  be  arranged  as  in  Fig.  64  or  supported  on 
trestles  or  on  wires  attached  to  the  rafters. 

These  modifications  in  the  regular  plan  will  materi- 
ally reduce  the  first  cost  of  the  house,  but  it  would  not 
be  fair  to  hold  out  the  impression  that  such  a  building 
will  prove  as  satisfactory  in  everyday  use  as  a  house 
constructed  after  the  regular  plans.  The  beginner  can 
safely  depend  upon  it  that,  where  experienced  poultry 
keepers  aie  practically  unanimous  in  the  adoption  of  cer- 
tain details  of  poultry  house  construction,  there  is  a 
thoroughly  good  reason  for  doing  so. 

The  following  bill  of  material  provides  everything 
needed  for  constructing  a  16x24-foot  house  where  this 
style  of  construction  is  to  be  followed: 


BILL   OF  MATERIALS 

Size     Length  No.of 
U«e  Inches      Feet    Pieces 

Sills,  side  2x8         12 

Sills,  ends  2x8         16 

Plates  2x4         12 

Studs,   front  2x4         16 

Studs,   back  2x4         10 

Studs,    ends   2x4 

Stringers   and*  misc 2x4         10 

Rafters    2x6          18 

Sheathing-  boards  for  roof 

and    sides    1x10 

Door    battens,  braces,  etc.. 1x4 
Sills    for    windows    and 

curtains   2x3 

Frame   for   shutters 1x2 


Remarks 
4 
2 
4 

6  One  piece  cuts  2 
2  One  piece  cuts  2 
3 
8 
13 

1050  feet,  bd.  meas. 
25  lineal    feet. 

20  lineal    feet. 
45  lineal    feet. 


10  squares  of  prepared  roofing. 

6  window   sashes,    1*4 -inch,    6-light,    8xl2-inch   glass. 
80   sq.   ft.   1-inch   mesh   netting  for  openings. 

1  pr.  8-inch  T-strap  hinges  for  outside  door. 

1  safety  hasp. 

5  pr.   2-inch   butt  hinges   for  windows   and   shutters. 

6  pr.  4-inch  strap  hinges  for  perch  supports. 
20  2-inch  hooks  and  eyes. 

Nails  and  tacks. 


A   SIX-COMPARTMENT   LAYING   HOUSE 

Designed   for  Use   of   Commercial   Poultry   Keepers.     It 

Looks  Well,  and  the  Low  Front  Makes  it  Extra 

Comfortable  in  Winter. 

This  house  is  designed  to  meet  the  requirements  of 
those  who  are  keeping  fowls  on  a  large  scale  and  who 
want  a  complete  and  practical  house  capable  of  being  ex- 
tended to  any  desired  length.  While  the  house  as  here 
described  consists  of  six  pens,  having  an  average  capacity 
of  100  hens  each,  the  number  of  pens  may  be  reduced  or 
increased  to  meet  individual  needs.  If  Leghorns  are  kept 
and  large  flocks  are  wanted,  the  wire  partitions  and  base 
boards  may  be  omitted. 

In  long  houses  unbroken  by  partitions,  especially 
houses  with  open  fronts,  there  are  always  liable  to  be  air 
currents,  and  it  is  chiefly  for  the  purpose  of  protecting 
the  fowls  from  drafts  that  tight  partitions  are  provided 
at  the  back  of  the  pens  where  the  perches  are  located. 
This  is  the  principal  reason,  also,  for  making  the  front 
partitions  solid  to  a  height  of  two  or  more  feet.  If  it  is 
desired  to  throw  several  pens  into  one,  the  rear  partitions 
should  be  retained  and  extended  two  or  three  feet  farther 
forward  into  the  pens.  In  addition  to  breaking  up  floor 
drafts,  they  divide  the  house  into  smaller  sections,  giving 
the  fowls  at  least  a  little  feeling  of  privacy,  which  they 
greatly  enjoy. 

The  combination  roof  indicated  for  this  house  is  rec- 
ommended regularly  for  all  laying  houses  over  sixteen 
feet  in  width.  Shed  roofs  are  sometimes  used  on  twenty- 


_JL 


FIG.    66 — END    ELEVATION    OF    COMPARTMENT    LAYING 
HOUSE   FOR  COMMERCIAL  FLOCK 

foot  houses,  but  they  offer  no  advantages  other  than  that 
they  are  a  little  easier  for  the  inexperienced  builder  to 
construct  and,  as  they  make  the  front  considerably  higher, 
they  give  opportunity  for  additional  ventilator  openings 
up  under  the  front  rafter  plate.  This  extra  height  is  an 
advantage  in  warm  climates  and  a  disadvantage  where 
the  winters  are  cold. 

A  combination  roof  may  be  built  with  supporting 
posts,  as  shown  in  this  plan,  using  rafter  ties  only  at  par- 
titions, or  the  supporting  posts  may  be  omitted  and  ties 
used  on  each  pair  of  rafters.  The  builder  may  take  his 
choice  of  methods,  but  it  is  well  to  remember  that  when 
Leghorns  are  kept  in  houses  with  tied  rafters  it  is  'neces- 


FIG.   65 — PART  OF  FRONT  ELEVATION  OF  COMPARTMENT  HOUSE   FOR   COMMERCIAL  LAYING  FLOCKS 


HOUSES  FOR  COMMERCIAL  LAYING  FLOCKS 


39 


sary  to  enclose  the  space  between  each  tie  and  the  pair 
of  rafters  above  it  with  netting  or  strips,  in  order  to  pre- 
vent the  fowls  from  roosting  theie  instead  of  on  the  regu- 
lar perches. 

Fig.  67  shows  the  floor  plan  for  a  complete  section 
or  pen  and  a  portion  of  the  opposite  end  section.  All 
sections  are  made  identical  with  the  one  shown.  Perches 
are  provided  as  show.n  in  Fig.  67.  For  detail  drawing 
showing  rear  ventilator  (not  indicated  in  Fig.  64),  see 
Chapter  X.  This  ventilator  will  be  found  a  great  aid  in 
keeping  the  house  comfortable  in  summer  and  should 
never  be  omitted.  It  does  not  seem  to  be  commonly  un- 
derstood that  fowls  suffer  as  much  from  extreme  heat  as 
from  cold,  and  their  productiveness  is  affected  by  either. 
It  is  almost  as  important,  therefore,  to  protect  the  fowls 
from  severe  heat  as  from  cold.  The  average  laying  house 
is  unnecessarily  hot  and  uncomfortable  in  the  summer 


While  not  provided  for  in  the  plans  or  the  bill  of 
materials,  it  is  recommended  that  two  six-light  windows 
be  supplied  for  each  pen,  to  be  located  in  the  rear  wall 
under  the  droppings  platform.  These  windows  are  espec- 
ially desirable  in  twenty-foot  houses,  as  they  light  up  what 
otherwise  is  a  comparatively  dark  section  of  the  floor. 
In  'the  summer,  with  the  sash  removed,  the  openings  will 
be  found  to  assist  greatly  in  keeping  the  house  cool.  Of 
course,  there  must  be  no  open  cracks  about  these  win- 
dows in  winter,  to  expose  the  hens  to  drafts. 

Fig.  64  shows  a  cross-section  at  partition.  In  ex- 
posed locations  it  may  be  necessary  to  build  every  other 
partition  solid  in  order  to  prevent  floor  drafts,  but,  as  a 
rule,  the  two-foot  baseboard  will  protect  the  fowls  suffi- 
ciently, and  open  partitions  make  the  house  much  cooler 
in  summer.  Fig.  66  shows  an  elevation  with  slope  of 
roof  and  location  of  outside  door. 


A..A. 


• 
5$ 


H  4"  x  4"  Pos-V 


5 

s 

WATEK 

WATEB 

'*•• 

•  ••' 

WATEfl, 

K  A 

n 

y 

1 

.t^.- 

>«    3" 

-+-. 

,«  —  _„. 

*  6,i 

s" 

0 

„[? 
.t-i«i 
3^ 

FIG.   67— FLOOR   PLAN  OF  COMPARTMENT  LAYING  HOUSE   FOR  COMMERCIAL  FLOCKS 


(       Jl  B  — 

1 

WATER 

•V 

"J 

^A 

=H 

m       .      Ji,       i 

simply  because  provision  is  not  made  for  sufficient  ven- 
tilation. As  a  result  of  this  there  is  little  circulation  of 
air,  especially  in  the  back  part  where  perches  are  located. 

With  an  opening  under  the  eave  six  to  twelve  inches 
wide,  depending  on  where  the  house  is  located,  there  will 
be  a  constant  circulation  of  air  from  front  to  back  or 
back  to  front,  as  the  case  may  be,  and  the  ceiling  around 
the  perches  will  protect  the  fowls  from  direct  drafts.  In 
some  instances  a  narrow  door  running  the  entire  length 
of  each  pen  is  placed  in  the  inside  wall  at  the  angle  where 
it  joins  the  roof  ceiling.  This  is  to  be  opened  in  hot 
weather,  thus  securing  direct  air  circulation  in  the  roosting 
compartment.  If  this  is  done,  the  doors  must  be  made  to 
fit  tight,  as  there  should  be  no  suspicion  of  a  draft  here 
in  winter. 

The  outside  opening  should  run  the  entire  length  of 
the  building  and  is  provided  with  hinged  doors  not  over 
six  feet  long.  Use  sound,  well-seasoned  boards  for  this 
purpose  in  order  to  reduce  the  tendency  to  warp.  The 
doors  are  to  be  held  open  with  screw  hooks  and  eyes,  but 
should  be  closed  in  cold  weather  and  fastened  securely  in 
place  with  wooden  buttons. 


Fig.  65  shows  front  elevation  and  is  self-explanatory. 
The  size  of  the  muslin-covered  openings  may  be  increased 
or  decreased  as  local  conditions  require,  remembering, 
however,  that  with  the  shutters  closed  the  fowls  will  go 
through  extremely  cold  weather  without  suffering  any 
injury,  even  though  the  surface  to  be  so  protected  may 
seem  quite  large. 

The  accompanying  bill  of  materials  gives  everything 
that  is  required  for  the  construction  of  this  house  as  de- 
scribed. In  estimating  quantities  needed,  reasonable  al- 
lowance has  been  made  for  waste.  Estimates  on  siding 
and  ceiling  provide  for  25  per  cent  shrinkage  and  on 
sheathing  boards  about  10  per  cent.  However,  as  there 
often  are  changes  to  be  made  to  meet  individual  require- 
ments, and  as  some  of  the  building  material  is  almost  in- 
variably taken  for  other  purposes,  it  will  be  wise  to  order 
a  little  extra.  This  is  particularly  true  in  the  case  of 
^x4-inch  trim  boards  for  which  the  poultryman  usually 
finds  an  astonishing  number  of  extra  uses. 

Material  for  the  concrete  foundation  and  floor  is  •»- 
timated  on  the  basis  of  a  2j4-foot  wall,  six  inches  thick; 
floor,  three  inches  thick,  and  a  four-inch  insulating  layer. 


40 


POULTRY  HOUSES  AND  FIXTURES 


HILL    OF    MATERIALS   FOR   (J-PEN    COMPARTMENT 
HOUSE 


Remarks 


Use                       j 
Sills,    side 

Size     I. 
nches 
2x4 
2x4 
2x4 
2x4 
2x4 
2x4 
2x4 
2x4 
2x4 
2x6 
2x6 
1x6 
4x4 

2x4 

2x4 

2x5 
2x5 
.%xlO 

7/8x6 

%x4 
7/8x4 
%x5 

7/8x4 
-%x4 

7^X2i 
%xl% 

%x% 

,engtb    No.  of 
Feet       Pieces 
10          48 
10             8 
10          48 
14          18 
10          30 
16          11 
10          30 
10          15 
•10          10 
14          61 
14          31 
10          12 
10             6 

10          24 
10          36 

12             6 
12             6 
3000   ft. 
1500   ft. 

2100   ft. 
400  lin.  ft. 
36  lin.  ft. 

150  lin.  ft. 
100  lin  ft. 
235  lin.  ft. 
65  lin.  ft. 
40  lin.  ft. 

120  lin.  ft. 

Sills,    ends     .  . 

Plates  

Studs,    front   

Studs,   back  .  . 

Studs,    ends   .. 

Studs,   partitions 

Miscellaneous 

Partitions,   sills 

Rafters,   rear  .. 

Rafters,    front    

Ridge    pole   

Center    posts    

Stringers    for    drop- 
pings    platform 

Perches  

Sills   for    windows  

Sills   for   curtains 

Roof  boards  

T   &   G   siding  .. 

Matched    flooring     for 
partitions,    ceil  ing 
and  doors  

yrim  lumber 

Door  frames  

Partition    doors, 
braces,   etc  

Cross  pcs.  for  perches. 
Frames  for  shutters  
Strips  under  shutters- 
Inside   window    sills  
Weather    strips  for 
windows    &   doors  

One 
One 
Cut 


piece  cuts 
piece  cuts 
to  fit. 


5  pr.   double-acting   spring   hinges   for   partitu/n   doors, 
2   pr.    4-inch    strap    hinges    for    ventilator    doors. 
36   ft.    chain    for   sash    holders. 
Nails,    tacks   and   paint. 

MATERIAL    FOR    FOUNDATION    AND    FLOOR 

210   bags  Portland  cement. 

500   cu.  ft.  sand. 

950   cu.   ft.   crushed   stone   or  gravel. 

800   cu.    ft.    cinders   or    broken   stone    for   filling. 


S  u  r  f  a  c  ed    upper 

edges    rounded. 
Milled. 
Milled. 
Surfaced    2    sides. 


Surfaced 
Surfaced 

Surfaced 
Surfaced 
Surfaced 
Surfaced 
Surfaced 


sides, 
sides. 

sides, 
sides, 
sides, 
sides, 
sides. 


Surfaced    4    sides. 

MATERIALS   FOR   PLATFORM    NESTS    (TWENTY-FOUR 

SETS,  4  NESTS   EACH) 

jj                                         Size  Length  No.  o 

Inches  Feet  Pieces 

Base   boards,   front  %x6  10  12 

Doors   %x7  10  12 

Partitions  , %xll  12  12 

Base   boards,    back    %x4  10  12 

Top    strips    %x2  10  24 

Bottom    boards    T/8xl2  10  12 

Running  boards  %x6  10  12 

Brackets   %x4  10  12 

All   boards   surfaced  four  sides. 

24  4-inch  strap  hinges  for  doors. 
28  squares  prepared  roofing. 

24   window    sashes,    1^4-inch,    6-light,    10xl4-inch   glass. 
850   sq.    ft.    1-in.    mesh    netting   for    partitions    and    windows. 
225  sq.   ft.   muslin  for  curtains. 
26  anchor  bolts,    %xl2-inch,   with   2-inch  washers  for  each. 

2  pr.    8-inch   T-strap   hinges  for   outside   doors. 

2   6-inch   hasps   for   doors. 
12  pr.   2-inch   butt  hinges  for  windows. 
12  pr.   2%-inch  butt  hinges  for  shutters. 

6  doz.   2-inch   hooks  and  eyes. 
12   pr.    4-inch    strap    hinges    for    perch    supports. 


*r 

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pp.NOj     8oar«      «'w,rf.       R.o.st>    I1 

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laboratory 

—L-3                    0»«r 

-|-  -">            H«o. 

68 — PLANS   FOR   CONSTRUCTING  NEW    ENGLAND   LAYING   HOUSE 
Prepared   by   Poultry   Dept.   Mass.   Agri.    College. 


FIG.   69— NEW  ENGLAND  OPEN-FRONT  LAYING  HOUSE 
Photo  from  Mass.  Agri.  College. 

A  NEW  ENGLAND  LAYING  HOUSE 
Especially  Suitable  for   Farm   Flocks.     Has  Open  Front 
and  Separate  Small  Pen  Suitable  for  Breed- 
ers or  Storage. 

By  PROF.  J.  C.  GRAHAM 

The  plan  herewith  presented  shows  a  detention  pen 
six  feet  wide  on  the  east  side  of  the  house.  .  As  can  be 
seen,  the  house  is  18  feet  deep  and  24  feet  long,  which 
gives  floor  space  sufficient  for  100  pullets  or  hens. 

The  height  of  the  front  is  7  feet  10  inches,  and  back, 
4  feet  10  inches.  A  2x4,  12  feet  long,  sawed  in  two,  will 
make  the  back  stud  4^  feet  and  the  front  7^  feet.  Then 
the  two-inch  plate  at  the  top  and  the  sill  at  the  bottom 
give  the  full  dimensions  already 
stated.  The  rear  rafter  is  just  14 
feet  long,  the  front  one  six  feet, 
and  the  peak  10  feet  from  the 
floor.  Note  that  the  rafter  at  the 
rear  is  sawed  off  flush  with  the 
back  edge  of  the  stud  and  plate, 
and  the  rear  roof  board  is  allowed 
to  project  over  about  three  inches, 
with  a  small  strip  nailed  up  un- 
derneath it  on  the  outside.  This 
closes  up  the  crack,  if  any,  and 
makes  a  tight,  cheap  method  of 
construction.  The  front  ends  of 
the  rafters  are  sawed  off  vertical- 
ly, and  underneath  the  projection 
of  the  rafters  a  board  is  fitted  in 
between  the  board  nailed  against 
the  ends  and  the  siding  end  of  the 
house,  which  gives  a  tight,  cheap 
construction  for  the  front  end  of 
the  rafters.  Note  that  a  4x4  beam 
supports  the  center  of  the  roof. 
This  is  necessary  in  a  house  18 
.  feet  wide. 

The  cloth  at  each  end  of  the 
opening  is  nailed  to  frame  made  of 
material  three  inches  wide  and 


\|EW  LAYI^C  J-f 

CAPACITY     100    ) 

CHuilTTl        Ao.,CU^U~ 

A-....T  .  M*t 

Itl3 
5c.lt  V..  •  i' 


HOUSES  FOR  COMMERCIAL  LAYING  FLOCKS 


41 


FIG.  70 — FRONT  ELEVATION,  CORNELL,  MODEL  POULTRY  HOUSE 


with  a  partition  six  -feet  from  the 
east  end,  giving  us  a  detention 
pen  6x18  feet.  Every  poultryman 
should  have  an  extra  pen  of  this 
kind.  It  may  serve  as  a  hospital 
in  the  fall,  if  necessary,  or  a  pen 
for  fattening  cockerels  or  surplus 
females.  It  makes  a  fine  place 
for  a  breeding  pen  during  that 
time  of  the  year,  or  for  sitting 
hens  during  the  hatching  season. 
Many  no  doubt  will  prefer  to  in- 
stall suitable  bins  so  that  this 
space  may  be  utilized  as  a  feed 
room  which  may  be  done  to  good 
advantage  if  floor  is  rat-proof. 


seven-eighths  in.  thick.  These  are  not  hinged,  but  are  kept 
in  place  by  buttons  on  the  inside.  We  think  this  is  a  little 
better  than,  hinging,  because  curtains  hinged  at  the  top 
gather  an  immense  amount  of  dust  while  the  curtain  is 
hooked  up  near  the  ceiling.  These  cloth  frames  can  be 
removed  in  the  summer  time,  but  in  cold  weather  they 
should  be  kept  in  place  at  all  times.  The  rest  of  the  open- 
ing, 10x3  feet,  is  covered  by  inch-mesh  wire.  There  is 
no  cloth  or  further  protection.  The  birds  roosting  so 
far  from  the  opening  will  not  suffer  in  cold  weather  when 
the  house  is  sufficiently  filled. 

The  reason  for  placing  the  opening  in  the  center  of 
the  house,  as  we  have  done,  is  because  an  opening  placed 
in  that  position,  and  not  more  than  19  feet  in  length, 
does  not  admit  the  wind  sufficiently  to  give  it  a  chance 
to  whirl  about  in  the  house,  whereas,  if  the  wire  and  cloth 
portions  of  the  front  are  reversed,  the  wind  will  whip  in 
at  one  end  and  out  of  the  other  and  the  birds  will  be  in 
a  constant  draft  if  there  is  any 
movement  of  air. 

The  back  «part  of  the  house  is 
ceiled  with  ceil  board  from  the 
plate  down  to  the  droppings  board, 
and  a  ventilator  at  the  back  of  the 
house  is  so  arranged  that  the  air 
during  the  summer  months  can 
pass  in  at  the  front  of  the  house, 
under  the  droppings  boards,  up 
between  this  lining  and  the  boards 
on  the  outside,  and  out,  cooling 
the  house  to  quite  an  extent  with- 
out subjecting  the  birds  to  drafts. 
These  ventilators  should  be  left 
open  during  the  summer  months. 

The  boards  used  on  the  outside 
are  novelty  siding,  with  no  paper. 
This  gives  a  very  sightly  house, 
and  is  also  cheaper  than  one  made 
of  rough  boards  and  covered  with 
paper,  unless  one  has  the  boards 
on  hand. 

It  is  more  economical  to  use 
2x4's  for  rafters,  and  if  sound 
they  are  heavy  enough  to  support 
the  roof.  The  house  can  be  built 
with  a  shed  roof  if  one  desires,  as 
there  will  be  plenty  of  head  room. 
Twenty-foot  rafters  are  required 
for  such  a  roof. 

This  house  is  designed  for  a 
single  pen  or  a  section  of  a  long 
house.  We  -made  it  30  feet  long. 


THE  CORNELL  MODEL  POULTRY  HOUSE 

The  Latest  Cornell  Laying  House.     Equipped  With  Dust 

Bath,  Wind  Bafflers,  and  Coops  for  Broody 

Hens.     Special  Ventilator. 

By   PROF.   JAMES    E.   RICE 

This  house,  as  here  illustrated,  is  provided  with  a 
concrete  floor.  If  desired  it  may  be  set  up  on  posts  about 
a  foot  above  the  ground  and  a  board  floor  put  in.  Quite 
frequently  a  board  floor  can  be  put  in  at  considerably  less 
cost  than  a  concrete  floor  and  may  prove  nearly  as  satis- 
factory. However,  on  the  farm  we  advise  that  the  con- 
crete floor  be  used.  The  stones,  gravel  and  sand  are  us- 
ually near  at  hand  and  by  using  farm  help  the  concrete 
foundation  and  floor  can  be  put  in  at  little  expense.  The 
concrete  floor,  if  properly  built,  is  warmer  in  winter  and 
will  outlast  the  board  floor. 


^  J 

M 
>"f 


- 


ife 


fK  rtfe  f 


FIG.  71 — FLOOR  PLAN  OF  CORNELL  MODEL  POULTRY  HOUSE 


42 


POULTRY  HOUSES  AND  FIXTURES 


f/oof   even    with  Top   of  Sill 


FIG.   72 — CROSS  SECTION  OF  CORNELL,  MODEL  POULTRY  HOUSE 


After  the  floor  is  made  ready  the 
studding  and  plates  for  front  and 
rear  are  next  cut  and  put  up, 
squared  and  braced.  The  studs  in 
front  are  cut  nine  feet  long  and  those 
in  the  rear  are  5  feet  long.  Notches 
for  the  Ix6-inch  ribbon  should  be  cut 
in  the  rear  studs  before  they  are  put 
up.  The  rafters  should  be  notched  to 
fit  onto  the  plates  and  they  should 
also  set  on  top  of  the  studding  front 
and  rear.  If  preferred,  short  rafters, 
2x6-inch,  12  feet  long  may  be  used 
and  allowed  to  overlap  in  the  center 
and  spiked  together.  The  2x6-inch 
roof  support  should  now  be  put  in 
with  a  4x4-inch  post  in  the  center 
and  a  2x4-inch  under  each  end.  Raise 
this  support  a  little  so  as  to  make 
the  rafters  slightly  crowning  in  the 
center.  Space  the  end  studs  from 
two  and  one-half  to  three  feet  apart. 

In  most  localities  in  this  state  a 
single  thickness  of  cove  or  novelty 
siding  is  all  that  is  required.  This 
siding  must  be  put  on  with  consider- 
able care.  A  knot  hole  or  a  crack 


FIG.    73  — CROSS 
SECTION  OF 
FRONT 


between  the  boards  may  be  the  means 
of  creating  a  draft  in  the  house  that 
will  cause  many  birds  to  become  ill 
with  colds.  Cove  siding  must  be 
thoroughly  dry  when  it  is  put  on, 
otherwise  cracks  are  likely  to  open 
up  between  the  boards  when  wind 
and  sun  have  dried  them  out.  Spruce 
siding  is  the  best  because  it  will  not 
shrink  as  much  as  pine.  The  ad- 
vantage in  using  the  cove  siding  is 
that  it  can  be  painted  so  as  to  make 
a  very  attractive  house. 

The  Cornell  wind  baffler  was  de- 
signed for  the  purpose  of  taking  the 
place  of  the  muslin  curtains  for  ven- 
tilation. See  page  21  for  directions 
for  making  and  installing  bafflers. 

The  perches  are  hung  with  hooks 
and  chains  to  help  prevent  the  mites 
from  getting  onto  them.  The  per- 
ches should  be  painted  twice  a  year 
with  a  good  creosote  wood  preserva- 


tive.    This  will  also  help  to  keep  the 
mites  away. 

In  the  ceiling,  about  three  inches 
above  the  droppings  board,  a  four- 
inch  opening  extending  the  full 
length  of  the  house  is  made.  The  ob- 
ject of  this  opening  is  to  provide  a 
means  for  carrying  off  the  bad  odor 
from  the  droppings  boards  and  roost- 
ing compartment.  If  desired,  this 
opening  may  be  closed  in  the  win- 
tertime. The  ten-inch  opening  under 
the  eaves  in  the  rear  is  almost  a  nec- 
essity during  hot  weather.  This  open- 
ing extends  the  full  length'  of  the 
house  and  there  are  four  doors  that 
can  be  opened  and  closed  as  desired, 
made  of  boards  12  inches  wide.  These 

should  be  cleated  to  prevent  them  from  warping.  The 
front  ventilators  are  usually  kept  open  all  summer  and 
should  be  opened  a  little  in  cold  weather  if  there  is  any 
indication  of  dampness  in  the  house.  The  window  sashes 
are  arranged  to  drop  back  at  the  top  in  order  to  increase 
ventilation.  This  feature  is  especially  valuable  during  the 
winter  months. 

The  bottoms  of  the  nests  are  stationary,  but  the 
frames  are  removable  for  easy  cleaning  and  spraying.  If 
desired,  these  nests  may  be  made  much  lighter  by  mak- 
ing the  frames  entirely  of  9-16-inch  lumber.  There  is  an 
opening  for  the  hens  to  enter  the  nests  at  the  end  nearest 
the  droppings  boards.  A  board  or  a  small  gate  should 
be  arranged  to  close  this  opening  whenever  it  may  be 
necessary  to  prevent  pullets  or  hens  from  getting  into  the 
nests  at  night.  A  droppings  board  is  placed  just  above 
the  nests  and  a  frame  covered  with  one-inch  mesh  poultry 
wire  above  this  for  the  bottom  of  the  broody  coop.  The 
broody  coop  may  be  divided  into  two  parts  by  a  partition 
in  the  center.  Troughs  for  feed  and  water  'can  be  hung 
on  the  outside  of  the  slats. 

A  14-foot  partition  is  put  in  the  center  of  the  house. 
This  partition  makes  the  house  more  rigid  and  also  serves 
to  prevent  the  circulation  of  strong  air  currents.  This 
partition  makes  it  convenient  at  the  breeding  season  for 
dividing  the  house  into  two  pens,  one  of  which  can  be 
used  for  the  selected  breeders.  The  mash  hopper  should 


PIG.    74 — MISSOURI    POULTRY    HOUSE,    SHOWING   FRONT    AND    SIDE 
Photo   from   University   of   Missouri. 


HOUSES  FOR  COMMERCIAL  LAYING  FLOCKS 


43 


be  about  six  feet  long  and  is  built  into 
the  partition  where  it  is  least  in  the  way 
of  the  caretaker. 

We  consider  the  outside  dust  wallow  a 
great  improvement  over  the  old  style  in- 
door dust  box.  It  has  the  advantage  of 
being  outside,  out  of  the  way.  It  gives 
additional  floor  space  -at  little  cost.  It 
receives  the  sunlight  from  three  sides  and 
very  little  dust  can  get  into  the  house. 
The  dust  wallow  should  have  a  concrete 
floor  which  is  on  a  level  with  that  of  the 
house.  The  roof  is  made  on  a  frame  so 
that  it  can  be  lifted  off  by  two  men  for 
convenience  in  renewing  the  supply  of 
fine  sand,  which  seems  to  be  the  most 
satisfactory  material  for  this  purpose. 

There  will  be  little  necessity  for  labori- 
ously handling  fowls  and  dusting  or  oth- 
erwise treating  them  for  lice. 


FJG.   76— CROSS  SECTION  OP  MISSOURI  OPEN-FRONT  POULTRY  HOUSE 
Reproduced  from 'Bui.   80,  University  of  Missouri. 


THE  MISSOURI  POULTRY  HOUSE 
Is  Proving   Quite   Popular   in  the   Middle   West,   Partic- 
ularly On  Farms.     Is  Lighted  On  All  Sides 
and  Has  Straw  Loft. 

By  PROF.   H.  L.  KEMPSTER* 

The  Missouri  Poultry  House  has  been  designed  by 
the  Poultry  Department  of  the  University  of  Missouri, 
College  of  Agriculture,  to  meet  the  demand  for  a  house 
of  such  size  as  to  accommodate  the  average  Missouri 
farm  flock  and  also  be  adapted  to  Missouri  conditions. 

Since  the  average  farm  poultry  flock  in  Missouri  is 
from  100  to  150  hens,  this  house  is  20  feet  square,  the 
square  house  being  the  most  economical  to  construct  and 
affording  a  maximum  amount  of  floor  space.  The  ridge 
of  the  roof  runs  north  and  south,  the  roof  being  of  equal 
spans.  The  walls  are  five  feet  at  the  eaves.  It  is  eleven 
feet  high  at  the  peak.  The  south  side  contains  a  door  in 


TTiT 


PIG.    75— FLOOR   PLAN   OF   MISSOURI    OPEN-FRONT    HOUSE 
Reproduced  from  Bui.  80,  University  of  Missouri. 


the  center  and  a  window  2x3  feet  on  each  side  of  the  door. 
These  windows  are  placed  high  enough  to  afford  a  30-inch 
opening  beneath,  one  foot  above  the  floor  and  extending 
the  entire  length  each  side  of  the  door.  This  opening  is 
covered  with  wire  screen,  which  keeps  the  hens  in  and  the 
sparrows  out. 

On  the  east  and  west  sides  are  two  windows,  each 
two  feet  high  and  three  feet  wide.  On  the  north  end  next 
to  the  floor  is  a  six-light  8xlO-inch  glass  window.  An  ar- 
rangement which  admits  light  from  all  directions  has  de- 
cided advantages,  because  the  light  is  so  distributed  that 
there  are  no  dark  corners,  thus  discouraging  the  laying 
of  eggs  on  the  floor.  Also,  when  light  comes  from  one 
direction  the  hen  always  faces  in  that  direction  when  she 
scratches.  In  consequence,  there  is  a  gradual  movement 
of  the  litter  toward  the  back  side  of  the  house.  When 
light  is  evenly  distributed  this  trouble  is  eliminated.  One 
hen  scratches  in  one  direction  and  another  in  another  and 
the  litter  never  piles  up  on  the  dark  side,  be- 
cause there  is  no  dark  side  in  such  a  house. 

Another  decided  advantage  in  having  open- 
ings on  all  sides  is  the  excellent  summer  venti- 
lation which  can  be  afforded  by  removing  the 
windows.  This  is  an  important  point  and  should 
not  be  overlooked  in  constructing  a  house  un- 
der Missouri  conditions.  Summer  ventilation  is 
as  important  as  winter  ventilation. 

During  the  winter  the  success  of  ventilation 
of  this  type  depends  upon  having  the  east,  west 
and  north  sides  and  the  roof  entirely  air-tight, 
so  that  wind  will  drive  into  the  house  only  a 
short  distance  and  never  back  to  the  roosts, 
which  are  on  the  north  side.  There  is  a  grad- 
ual movement  of  the  air  from  the  inside  out, 
thus  insuring  an  abundance  of  ventilation  with- 
out drafts.  Open-front  ventilation  has  an  ad- 
vantage over  all  other  ventilation  because  it  re- 
quires no  adjusting,  never  plugs  up,  and  always 
works.  This  type  of  ventilation  will  adapt  it- 
self to  temperature  changes  without  the  con- 
stant attention  of  the  attendant  and  in  this  way 
reduces  to  a  minimum  the  labor  of  caring  for 
the  house.  It  probably  meets  the  require- 
ments of  a  simple  efficient  farm  poultry  house 
more  nearly  than  any  house  that  has  been  pre- 
viously designed.  The  walls  are  of  car  siding, 
funning  up  and  down  which  forms  a  tight  and 
attractive  wall.  The  roof  is  made  up  of  ship- 
lap  covered  with  shingles. 


44 


POULTRY  HOUSES  AND  FIXTURES 


The  floor  is  made  of  dirt,  which  is  an 
economical  and  durable  type.  Dirt  floors 
are  very  efficient  if  properly  constructed. 
In  constructing  a  dirt  floor  there  should  be 
a  wall  six  to  eight  inches  high.  A  fill  of 
four  inches  of  coarse  material,  such  as  cin- 
ders, should  be  made  to  prevent  damp 
floors.  On  top  of  the  tamped  cinders 
should  be  placed  two  or  three  inches  of 
damp  clay,  which  should  be  packed  well 
and  then  permitted  to  dry  so  that  it  will 
harden.  On  top  of  the  clay  should  be 
placed  half  an  inch  of  loose  dirt.  The  clay 
prevents  the  dirt  and  straw  from  mixing 
with  the  cinders  to  such  an  extent  as  to 
cause  the  moisture  to  rise.  A  covering  of 
a  foot  or  more  of  straw  will  keep  the  floor 
dry  at  all  times. 

The   greatest   objections   to    dirt    floors 
are:    (1)   the  possible  invasion  of  rats;    (2) 
the   fact   that   the    straw   will   become   dirty   quicker   than 
with  a  concrete  floor;  and   (3)   dustiness,  which  in  many 


PIG.    78 — FRONT    ELEVATION    OF    MISSOURI    POULTRY    HOUSE 
Reproduced  from  Bui.   80,  University   of  Missouri. 


inches  apart.  This  forms  a  loft  which  is  filled  with  straw. 
The  straw  acts  as  a  sort  of  sponge  by  absorbing  both 
dampness  and  heat  and  helps  to  keep  the  house  drier  in 
the  winter  and  cooler  in  the  summer. 

In  most  sections  it  will  probably  cost  about  $120.00  to 
build  this  house,  aside  from  the  painting.  It  will  ac- 
commodate from  120  to  175  hens,  depending  in  part  on 
the  breed,  making  the  cost  about  $1.00  per  hen  or  a  little 
less.  Plans  for  constructing  this  house  are  shown  in 
Figs.  75,  76  and  78,  and  the  complete  house  in  Fig.  74. 


FIG.  77— END  ELEVATION  OF  COLD  CLIMATE  HOUSE 

cases  has  caused  throat  trouble.    However,  because  of  the 
low  cost"  of  construction,  the  dirt  floor  can  be  safely  rec- 
ommended and  it    will    prove    very 
efficient. 

The  roosts  should  be  at  the  back 
or  north  side  and  all  on  the  same 
level.  They  should  be  four  feet 
above  the  floor,  14  inches  from  the 
wall,  and  12  inches  apart,  and  made 
of  2x4's  with  rounded  corners.  Poles 
two  inches  in  diameter,  if  firmly 
placed,  will  serve  the  purpose  near- 
ly as  well.  Eight  inches  beneath  the 
roosts  is  placed  the  droppings  plat- 
form, which  keeps  the  floor  clean 
and  increases  the  floor  space  avail- 
able for  other  purposes.  Underneath 
the  droppings  platform  are  placed 
the  nests.  There  should  be  eight 
inches  of  roosting  place  for  each 
bird  and  one  nest  for  every  six  or 
seven  hens. 

Joists  or  collar  beams  are  placed 
in  the  house  just  high  enough  to  af- 
ford head  room.  In  order  to  pre- 
vent the  birds  from  roosting  on 
these,  they  are  covered  with  inch 
boards,  4  inches  wide,  placed  two 


BILL,  OP  MATERIALS 

Use                                    Pieces  « Size 

Rafters   22  2x4-12 

Plates  and   sills 8  2x4-20 

Studding  and   frames  1  2x4-10 

Roosts 5  2x4-20 

Finishing   6  1x4-10 

Finishing   1  1x4-16 

Finishing 4  1x4-10 

Finishing   8  Ix4-12« 

Floor   for   loft  52  1x4-14 

Car    siding   for   walls —  1x6-10 

Shiplap  for  roof  and  drop,  plat —  1x8-12 

Shingles— 5%  M. 

Sashes — 7    6-light,    8xlO-inch    glass. 

Wire   netting  for  windows   and   front — 3x32. 

Hinges — 1   pair. 

Foundation — 3   cu.   ft.   of   concrete. 


Bd.  Feet 

176 

107 

7 

74 

20 

6 

14 

32 

260 

600 

720 


*  From    Missouri    Experiment    Station    Circular    80. 


1 


FIG.    79— CROSS   SECTION   OF   COLD   CLIMATE  HOUSE 


CHAPTER     IV 


Laying  Houses  to  Meet  Special  Conditions 

Laying  Houses  Especially  Designed  to  Meet  the  Requirements  of  Cold  and  Warm  Climates — Houses  With  Open-Front 
and  Semi-Monitor  Roofs— Block  and  Concrete  Houses — Numerous  Houses  Designed  to  Meet  Special  Con- 
ditions, That  Are  in  Everyday  Use  by  Practical  Poultry  Keepers  in  This  Country  and  Canada. 


NIFORMITY  in  "poultry-house  design,  as  has  been      matter  of  fact,  nothing  but  the  high  cost  of  building  this 


stated  elsewhere  in  this  book,  is  highly  desirable 
so  far  as  it  can  be  attained  without  sacrificing 
convenience  or  efficiency.  What  may  be  called 
the  "general-purpose"  types,  illustrated  and  described  in 
the  preceding  chapter,  probably  will  meet  the  require- 
ments of  the  great  majority  of  poultry  keepers  without 


FIG.    80 — FRONT    VIEW    ELEVATION    OF   COLD    CLIMATE     HOUSE 


change  or  modification  in  any  essential  particular.  There 
are,  however,  special  conditions,  due  to  climate,  location, 
or  the  use  to  which  the  house  is  to  be  put,  that  make  it 
more  practical  to  adopt  some  special  type  of  construc- 
tion than  to  adhere  to  a  standard  plan,  regardless  of  how 
desirable  it  may  be  to  do  so,  in  a  general  way.  Each 
individual  must  decide  for  himself  what  is  required  in 
his  particular  case.  In  the  following  pages  will  be  found 
plans  for  a  number  of  houses  designed  to  meet  unusual 
conditions  and  requirements.  It  must  be  a  very  difficult 
problem,  indeed,  for  which  a  suitable  solution  cannot  be 
found  among  these. 

A  LAYING  HOUSE  FOR  COLD  CLIMATES 

Straw-Loft   Houses  Are   Highly   Desirable  in   Extremely 

Cold  Climates.     They  Are  Comfortable,  Dry, 

and  Well  Ventilated. 

What  is   known  as  the  "straw-loft"  house  is   one  of 
the  most  desirable  of  special-type  poultry  houses.     As  a 


house  stands  in  the  way  of  its  general  adoption  in  all 
sections  of  the  country.  The  thick  blanket  of  straw  in 
the  gable  not  only  makes  the  pen  warmer  in  winter,  but 
keeps  it  cooler  in  summer.  It  also  absorbs  moisture  and 
keeps  the  house  dry.  There  is  a  marked  increase  in  in- 
terest in  straw-loft  houses  where  extreme  cold  must  be 
encountered.  Aside  from  the  gable 
roof,  straw-filled  loft,  and  double 
walls,  this  house  does  not  differ  ma- 
terially from  the  one  described  on 
pages  35  to  37,  and  all  that  is  said 
there  in  icgard  to  the  foundation, 
floors  and  fixtures  applies  with  equal 
force  to  this  house.  It  is  especially 
desirable  to  .have  a  concrete  founda- 
tion and  floor  with  double-walled 
houses,  as  the  space  between  the 
walls  makes  an  excellent  hiding  place 
for  rats.  When  once  they  have  ob- 
tained a  foothold  it  is  entirely  diffi- 
cult to  dislodge  them,  and  even  more 
so  if  they  gain  access  to  straw  loft. 
In  finishing  the  loft  it  is  wise  to 
provide  a  trap  door  in  the  ceiling  so 
that  the  straw  can  be  thrown  down 

into  the  house  instead  of  having  to  fork  it  all  out  at  the 
gable  doors.  This  trap  need  only  consist  of  a  few  slats 
with  a  batten  at  each  end,  cutting  these  long  enough  to 
reach  across  to  the  permanent  slats  on  either  side,  which 
will  hold  the  door  in  place  without  hinges  or  other  fast- 
ening. 

In  filling  the  loft,  which  usually  will  be  done  in  the 
fall,  use  good,  clean  straw,  free  from  mold,  dust,  or  chaff. 
Chaffy  straw  will  pack  too  tight,  interfering  with  ventila- 
tion. The  material  should  be  filled  in  loosely,  almost  to 
the  ridge,  starting  at  the  farther  end  and  working  back 
without  tramping.  Filled  in  this  way  the  material"  will 
settle  just  enough  to  leave  a  good-sized  open  space  be- 
low the  ridge,  which  is  essential  to  proper  circulation 
of  air. 

Fig.  79  shows  a  cross-section  of  the  house  with  wall 
nests,  perches,  etc.  The  slats  that  are  to  hold  the  straw 
in  place  should  be  nailed  securely  to  the  underside  of 
the  oveihead  joists  and  may  be  spaced  quite  a  bit  further 
apart  than  shown  in  the  plan  if  it  is  desired  to  economize 


FIG.    81— SECTION   OF   FRONT   ELEVATION   OF  COMPART    MENT   HOUSE   FOR   WARM   CLIMATES 


46 


POULTRY  HOUSES  AND  FIXTURES 


on  lumber.  Where  long  straight  poles  are  obtainable 
these  may  be  used  in  place  of  sawed  strips.  Whether 
strips  or  poles  are  used,  it  is  a  good  plan  to  lay  a  single 
wide  board  across  the  top  face  of  the  joists,  immediately 
under  the  ridge,  in  order  to  have  secure  footing  when  it 
is  necessary  to  enter  the  loft.  It  will  be  noted  that  no 
rear  ventilators  are  provided  in  this  plan.  With  a  straw 
loft  and  with  the  louvered  ventilators  on  hinges  like 
doors,  so  that  they  may  be  thrown  wide  open  in  warm 
weather,  no  additional  ventilation  is  needed  in  the  north. 
The  floor  plan  for  this  house  is  the  same  as  the  one  for 
curtain-front  house  described  on  pages  35  to  37. 

Fig.  80  gives  the  front  elevation,  with  dimensions  for 
windows  and  curtained  openings  clearly  indicated.  Fig. 
77  shows  end  elevation,  with  location  and  size  of  venti- 
lator door  in  gable. 


Use 


BILL  OF  MATERIALS 

Size      Length   No.  of 
Inches      Fe,  t      Pieces  Remarks 


Sills,    sides    2x4 

Sills,    ends   2x4 

Plates,  sides  2x4 

Plates,    ends 2x4 

Studs    2x4 

Studs,     g-able     and 

miscellaneous   2x4 

Rafters    ..  ..   2x5 

Ridge  1x6 

Ties    2x5 

Staybraces    1x6 

Supports  for  drop- 
pings platform 2x4 

Perches  2x4 

Sills    for    curtains...   2x8 

Sills    for    windows..   2x8 

Siding  %x6 

Roof  boards   %xlO   260  ft. 

Flooring  for  ceil'g, 
drop,  plat  form, 
door,  etc %x4 

Trim  lumber  %x4 

Strips   for   loft %x3 

Door  and  window 
frames  %x6 

Strip   under    shut's.. 

Strip  base  of  win- 
dow   %  x2  % 

Frame  for  shutters..  %x2 

Frame  &  louvering 
for  gable  doors....  %x4 

Weather  strips  for 

windows  &  doors.. %x% 


12 
16 
16 
.16 
14 

4 
2 
3 

2 
44 

10 

8 

10 
12 
16 

8 

26 
2 
11 
11 

12 

4 

12 

6 

48 

10 
12 
730  ft. 
260  ft. 

1 
1 
bd. 
bd. 

12% 
15 
meas. 
meas. 

800  ft. 

bd. 

meas. 

300 
800 

lin 
lin 

.  ft. 
.  ft. 

90 

lin 

.  ft. 

!       8 

lin 

.  ft. 

i    8 

lin 

.  ft. 

30 

lin 

.  ft. 

50 

lin 

.  ft. 

30   lin.  ft. 


One   piece    cuts    2. 


One   piece    cuts    2. 


Round    edge. 

Surf.    4    sides. 
Milled,   cuts   2. 
Milled,   cuts  3. 

Surfaced    2    sides. 


Surfaced. 
Surfaced. 

Surfaced. 

Cuts    3.    Surfaced. 

Cuts    3.    Surfaced. 
Cuts    3.    Surfaced. 

Cuts    3.    Surfaced. 
Cuts    2.    Surfaced. 


70  sq.  ft.  1-inch  netting  for  openings  and  windows. 

30  sq.    ft.   unbleached    muslin   for    curtains. 

2  4-inch  hasps  for  gable  door. 

6  anchor  bolts,    %x!2-inch,  with   2-inch  washers  for   each. 

1  pr.   8-inch  T-strap  hinges  for  outside  door. 

1  6-inch   hasp   for  outside   door. 

2  pr.  2% -inch  butt  hinges  for  shutters. 

3  pr.   2-inch   butt  hinges  for  windows. 

2  pr.    4-inch   T-strap   hinges   for   gable   doors. 

3  pr.   4-inch  strap  hinges  for  perch  supports. 
6  ft.  chain  for  sash  holders. 

10  2-inch  screw  hooks  and  eyes  for  windows,   etc. 
Nails,   tacks,   and   paint. 

MATERIALS    FOR   FOUNDATION    AND    FLOOR 

57  sacks  Portland  cement. 
140  cu.   ft.  of  sand. 

200  cu.  ft.  of  crushed  stone  or  gravel. 
140  cu.   ft.   of   cinders   or   stone   for   filling. 


MATERIALS    FOR  WALL    NESTS 

Size 
Inches 


Use 


Length 
Feet 


Top    %xlO  30   lin.   ft. 

Back   %xlO  55  lin.  ft. 

Sides y8x7  40   lin.   ft. 

Bottoms   %x8  30   lin.   ft. 

Bottoms   %x7  30   lin.   ft. 

Foot  boards  %x6  30  lin.  ft. 

Partitions   : %x7  25  lin.  ft. 

Front  boards,   bottom %x4  30  lin.  ft 

Front  boards,   top   %x2  30  lin.   ft. 

Support   for   running   boards %x4  25  lin.  ft. 

Strips   for  partitions %x%  25  lin.  ft. 

All  boards  surfaced  2  sides. 

6  pr.  1-inch  butt  hinges. 
12  2-inch  screw  hooks  and  eyes. 

MATERIALS  FOR  PLATFORM  NESTS 

If   platform    nests   are    preferred   instead    of   wall    nests 

the   following  material  will   be   required  for   four   sets,   five 
nests  each: 


Use 


Size 
Inches 


Length 
Feet 


No.  of 
Pieces 

2 

2 
2 
2 


6  squares   of  prepared   roofing. 

6  window    sashes,    1  %  -inch,    6-light,    10xl2-inch    glass. 


Doors   %  x7  12 

Front  base  %x6  12 

Bottom   %x!2  12 

Rear  base  %x4  12 

Top   strips  %x2  12 

Partitions  % xll  10 

Running  boards  %x6  12 

Brackets   %x4  8  5 

All  boards  surfaced  2   "ides. 
4  pr.  of  2% -inch  T-strap  hinges. 

The  various  details  of  construction  which  apply  gen 

erally   to    this    and    all    similar   houses,  will    be    found    in 

Chapter  I,  under  appropriate  headings.  While  the  bill  of 
materials  specifies  prepared  roofing,  good  shingles,  if  ob- 
tainable at  reasonable  cost,  will  be  found  more  satisfac- 
tory and  will  last  longer. 


S-tud<;  2.'  On  Centers 


FIG.    82— FLOOR    PLAN    OF    COMPARTMENT    LAYING    HOUSE    FOR    WARM      CLIMATES 


LAYING  HOUSES  TO  MEET  SPECIAL  CONDITIONS 


47 


2*6"Mart^s  .s^aceSjBet-wee/T  2'°on  Centers 

n 

n          TT 

n        n 

n          ti 

_D  n 

J3  n           TI          n 

T 

a-xvVuA 

-2'JcV 

Oaub)ec{ 

-4- 

-N 

I 

k 

-T 

1 

±j 

^S, 

br- 

45« 


PIG.    83 — FRAMING  THE   FRONT   OF   WARM   CLIMATE   HOUSE 


A  LAYING  HOUSE  FOR  WARM  CLIMATES 
Provides   Extra   Ventilation   Required   in   All   Warm    Cli- 
mates.   Is  Not  Too  Deep,  and  Front  is  Shaded 
By  Wide  Eave. 

While  the  house  described  on  pages  38  to  40  may  be 
adapted  to  the  requirements  of  warm  climates  by  making 
suitable  changes  in  ventilation,  there  are  some  features 
that  are  especially  desirable  in  mild  climates  that  are  not 
needed  or  wanted  elsewhere.  For  this  reason  plans  for  a 
special  warm-climate  house  have  been  prepared.  This 
house  can  be  built  in  any  number  of  pens  desired,  the 
one  here  illustrated  affording  ample  -accommodations  for 
900  to  1000  fowls,  or  about  150  to  the  pen.  The  rule  of 
four  square  feet  to  the  fowl,  which  applies  generally 
wherever  fowls  must  be  kept  in  confinement  for  long  pe- 
riods of  time,  does  not  hold  where  they  can  be  out  most 
of  the  time  and  where  the  house  is  mainly  a  place  for 
roosting  and  for  providing  accommodations  for  nests, 

ted  hoppers,  etc. 
The  foundation    and  floor    as   shown    in    the    cross- 
ction,   Fig.  85,  are   of  concrete.     It   will   be  noted  that 
the  foundation  wall  is  carried  up  a  foot  above  the  floor, 
the  purpose  of  this  being  to  protect  the  sills  from  decay 
and  insure  a  dry  floor.     It  is  planned  to  have  the  floor  a 
foot  above  the  ground  level,  but  if  the  site  is  well  drained, 
six  inches  will  be  enough.     General  details  of  foundation, 
floor,  and  anchorage  are  as  described  in  Chapter  I. 

To  afford  protection  from  the  sun,  the  front  eave  is 
extended  so  as  to  form  a  permanent  canopy  over  the  front 
of  the  house.  Some  builders  go  a  step  further  than  this 
and  make  the  canopy  six  feet  or  more  wide,  enclosing  the 
space  and  using  it  as  a  sort  of  shaded  runway.  This  is  an 
excellent  plan  and  adds  but  little  to  the  cost  of  the  house. 
Where  this  is  to  be  done  it  is  advisable  to  provide  a  plain 
shed  roof  over  the  main  part  of  the  house  (16  feet)  and 
then  extend  the  canopy  as  far  for- 
ward as  desired,  sloping  it  to  the 
front.  This  can  be  done  without 
changing  or  interfering  in  any  man- 
ner with  the  plans  of  the  house  as 
here  given,  except  to  use  18-foot 
rafters. 

Fig.  82  shows  floor  plan,  with 
location  of  all  fixtures.  The  houSe 
for  which  this  plan  was  originally 
prepared  was  to  be  equipped  with 
trapnests  as  shown.  As  a  smaller 
number  of  hens  can  be  accommo- 
dated per  nest  where  trap-nests  are 
used,  additional  nests  had  to  be  pro- 
vided along  the  wall  or  partition. 
The  plan  for  these  nests  will  be 
found  in  Chapter  X,  and  a  bill  of 
materials  given.  If  ordinary  plat- 
form nests  are  to  be  used,  the  space 


under  the  platform  will  accommodate  all 
the  nests  needed,  building  them  as  de- 
scribed in  Chapter  X. 

The  difficulty  of  controlling  lice  and 
mites  is  much  greater  in  warm  climates 
than  in  the  north  and  it  is  always  ad- 
visable to  provide  lice-proof  metal  perch 
supports,  as  shown.  Where  these  are 
installed  and  properly  looked  after, 
there  is  no  possibility  of  mites  passing 
from  the  perches  to  the  wall  and  plat- 
form, resulting  sooner  or  later  in  a 
mite-infested  house  which  can  only  be 
cleaned  by  the  most  painstaking  efforts.  Fig.  37  shows 
the  type  of  rear  ventilator  in  general  use  in  the  south. 
No  harm  will  result  from  having  this  open  directly  into 
the  house,  but  it  is  desirable  to  have  the  perches  suffici- 
ently below  the  opening  so  that  the  fowls  on  them  will 
not  be  in  a  direct  draft. 


FIG.    84 — AN    OPEN    FRONT    HOUSE   AT    GEORGIA 
EXPERIMENT   STATION 

Houses  of  this  general  type  are  in  successful  use  in 
all  parts  of  the  South — g-enerally  with  muslin  curtains 
for  additional  winter  protection. 

The  opening  for  the  rear  ventilator  should  be  at 
least  10  inches  wide,  and  should  run  the  entire  length  of 
the  building.  It  is  enclosed  on  the  inside  with  one-inch 
poultry  netting.  Two  six-light  window  sashes  should  be 
placed  in  the  rear  wall  in  each  pen,  under  the  droppings 
platform.  These  are  provided  as  much  for  coolness  as 
for  light. 

Fig.  81  shows  the  front  elevation,  with  dimensions 
of  openings,  "which  may  be  protected  with  muslin  curtains 
on  the  outside  of  the  building,  as  shown  in  Fig.  89,  on 


FIG.   85 — CROSS   SECTION  OF  WARM  CLIMATE  HOUSE 


48 


POULTRY  HOUSES  AND  FIXTURES 


BILL,  OF  MATERIALS   FOR  BOARD   FLOOR 

If   a   board   floor   is   preferred   for   this   house   instead   of 
concrete,    the    following   lumber   will   be    required: 


FIG.  86— END  ELEVATION  OF  WARM  CLIMATE  HOUSE 

page  49.  Fig.  83  shows  the  method  of  framing  the 
front  with  all  necessary  dimensions.  Fig.  86  shows 
method  of  enclosing  the  ends,  leaving  a  large  ventilator 
opening  in  each  gable,  to  be  protected  with  poultry 
netting. 


BILL    OF   MATERIALS 


Use 


Size 
Inches 

Sills,    sides    ,....2x4 

Sills,    ends    2x4 

Plates   and    stringers 2x4 

Base    of    partitions 2x4 

Studs,    front    2x4 

Studs,    back   2x4 

Studs,    ends,    part'ns,    etc.. 2x4 

Ridge    plate    2x4 

Center   posts    4x4 

Ties    1x6 

Rafters,    front    2x6 

Rafters,    rear   2x6 

Support  for  drop,   plat 2x4 

Perches    2x4 

Sills  for  front  open's 2x6 

T    &    G   siding- 1x6 

Roof    boards    1x10 

(If    g-alvanized    roofing   is 

used   substitute  1400  s.  f. 

1x4  strips.) 
Flooring-  bds.  for  plat'ms, 

doors,   partitions,   etc 1x4 

Trim   lumber  1x4 

Door    frame    1x5 

T  &  G  boards  for  hop's  ..1x6 


Length 
Feet 

10 

16 

10 

10 

14 

10 

16 

10 

10 

10 

16 

14 

10 

12 
8 

2000  ft. 
3500  ft. 


One 
One 
One 


No.  of 
Pieces 

30 
2 

90 
5 

40 

40 

35 

30 

12 

74 

40 

78 

30 

36 

20 

bd.  meaa 
bd.  meas. 


piece  cuts  2. 
piece  cuts  2. 
piece  cuts  2. 


One  piece  cuts  2. 

One  piece  cuts  2. 
Surfaced. 


1900  ft.  bd.  meas 
1600  ft.  bd.  meas.   Sfcd.    4    Sds. 
40  lin.  ft.      Surfaced   4   sides. 
800   sq.  ft. 


IOAA  S(l"are/  prepared  roofing  or  galvanized  roofing. 
1200  s.  f    of  1-inch  wire  netting  for  front,   partitions,   etc. 
30  anchor  bolts.   %x!2-inch,  with  2  2-in.  washers  for  each 

2  pr.   8-inch  T-strap  hinges  for   outside  doors. 

pr.   double-acting  spring  hinges  for   partition   doors. 
l  pr.   6-inch   strap  hinges  for  rear  ventilating  doors. 

3  dozen   2-inch   hooks  and   eyes. 

12   pr.   4-inch  strap  hinges  for  perch  supports;  or  36  pairs 

metal   perch    supports. 
Nails,    staples   and   paint. 

MATERIALS   FOR  TRAP   NESTS 
(See  Chap.  X.) 

Sides   and    bottoms,    T   &    G   boards %x4  800   s.  f. 

Top    rail    of    partitions 7^X2  160  lin.  ft. 

Top   rail   of  ends  %xl%  160  lin.  ft. 

Bottom   rail   of   ends 7^X3  160  lin.  ft. 

bide    rail    of    ends %x2  170  lin.  ft. 

Strips    %x.%  260  lin   ft 

Partition   strips          .11111™  %x2*  160  lin!  ft 

All  boards  to  be  surfaced  4  sides. 
Galvanized    doors,    wire,    staples    and    wooden    triggers. 

MATERIALS   FOR   PLATFORM   NESTS 

(24   sets   of   4   nests  each.      To   be   substituted   for   trap- 
if  preferred.) 

Size  Length 

Use  Inches  Feet 


Door    %x7 

Front    base    ..."..^.".".'"..".".[.'gxe  10 

Bottom  7^x12  10 

Rear    base 7^x4  10 

Partitions   7/sXll  10 

Running    boards    %xg  JQ. 

Top    strips    7^x2  IQ 

Uprights   2x4  10 

Brackets      1x4  10 

All    boards    to    be    surfaced    4    sides. 
30   pr.    2  %  -inch    T-strap   hinges  for   nest   doors. 

MATERIALS    FOR   FOUNDATION    AND    FLOOR 

230   bags   Portland    cement. 

550  cu.  ft.  of  sand. 

900  cu.  ft.  gravel  or  crushed  stone. 

800  cu.   ft.   of  cinders  or  stone   for  filling. 


nests 
No.of 

'  C12 
12 
12 
12 
12 

24 

12 
24 


\ 

Jse                                     Size 

Length 

No.  of     Remarks 

Inches 

Feet 

Pieces 

Posts,  wood, 

stone  or  concrete.  .8x8 

5 

60 

Sills,    sides 

2x8 

16 

40        Doubled. 

Sills,    ends 

2x8 

16 

4         Doubled. 

Bridging 

.  1x2 

750   lin.   ft. 

Joists    .. 

....2x8 

16 

75 

T  &  G  flooring  3,000      s.   f. 

Posts  to  be  spaced  6  feet  apart,  set  2  feet  deep  and 
leveled  3  'feet  above  the  surface  of  the  ground.  If  building 
is  on  sloping  ground,  posts  are  to  be  leveled  so  that  sill 
will  be  at  least  18  inches  from  the  ground  at  point  nearest 
the  ground. 

600  sq.  ft.  of  siding  will  enclose  underpart  on  three 
sides,  leaving  the  front  open. 

OTHER  WARM  CLIMATE  HOUSES 

Various  Types  of  Practical  Houses  in  Successful  Use 

in  the  South. 

The  illustrations  on  this  and  the  following  pages 
show  other  types  of  houses  that  are  in  successful  use  in 
the  south,  all  indicating  that  protection  from  enemies  and 
from  rain  and  sun  is  about  the  only  imperative  condition 
that  must  be  met.  No  detailed  description  of  these  houses 
need  be  given,  as  their  construction  is  of  the  simplest  na- 
ture. They  are  illustrated  here  simply  to  show  the  differ- 
ent methods  that  may  be  successfully  employed  to  secure 
a  free  circulation  of  air  without  which  poultry  houses  in 
warm  climates  will  prove  unendurable  for  fowls  in  the 
hot  season. 

Fig.  89  shows  a  house  in  the  Morristown  (Tenn.) 
district.  With  slight  modifications  houses  of  this  type 
will  be  found  all  through  this  section.  The  muslin  cur- 
tains are  fastened  to  wires  at  top  and  bottom  by  means 
of  small  rings,  and  slide  back  and  forth  to  open  and  close. 
The  curtains  are  on  the  outside  of  the  front  and  high 
winds  simply  blow  them  back  against  the  netting,  which 
supports  them  so  that  they  do  not  whip  back  and  forth 
to  any  great  extent.  Because  of  this  freedom  from  whip- 
ping these  loose  curtains  appear  to  last  about  as  long  as 
muslin  tacked  to  frames. 

The  house  here  shown  is  built  with  a  plain-shed  roof 
and  the  entire  front,  from  the  top  plate  to  within  about 


FIG.     87 — A    GOOD    HOUSE    FOR    SEMI-TROPICAL 
CLIMATE 

This  house  was  designed  for  use  in  the  semi-tropical 
climate  of  the  extreme  southern  part  of  the  United  States. 
Maximum  air  circulation  is  secured  and  eaves  are  made 
extra  wide  for  shade. 

three  feet  of  the  ground,  is  left  entirely  open  except  for 
the  curtains.  In  the  comparatively  mild  climate  of  Ten- 
nessee this  construction  provides  a  good  degree  of  win- 
ter comfort  for  the  fowls  and  plenty  of  ventilation  for 
summer.  Throughout  the  south  generally,  wide  houses 


LAVING  HOUSES  TO  MEET  SPECIAL  CONDITIONS 


49 


FIG.    88 — DETAIL.    OF    FRONT 
WARM   CLIMATE    HOUSE 


are  not  considered  desirable  on  account  of  the  difficulty 
of  making  them  cool  in  summer,  and  they  seldom  are 
built  over  16  feet  in  depth,  unless  with  a  semi-monitor 
roof.  So  far  as  the  general  details  of  construction  and 
arrangements  are  concerned,  the  house  illustrated  in  Fig. 

89  does  not  dif- 
fer materially  from 
the  six  -  compart- 
ment house  shown 
in  Figs.  81  to  86, 
aside  from  the  fact 
that  low-cost  con- 
struction as  d  e  - 
scribed  on  page 
37,  is  almost  in- 
variably adopted. 

Fig.  84  shows 
a  practical  laying 
house  on  the  poul- 
try plant  of  the 
Georgia  Experi- 
ment Station.  It 
is  built  with  a 
combination  roof 
and  a  wide  eave 
which  shades  the 
front — a  highly  de- 
sirable feature  in 
warm  climates. 
Houses  in  the 
south  especially 
need  rear  ventila- 
tors as  shown  in 
Fig.  37,  provid- 
ing not  only  the 
door  under  the  eave,  but  also  the  windows  under  the 
droppings  platform.  It  is  just  as  important  to  protect 
fowls  from  heat  here  as  it  is  to  protect  them  from  cold 
in  the  north,  and  there  is  no  better  means  of  doing  this 
than  in  the  manner  just  suggested. 

Where  English  sparrows  are  numerous,  it  will  pay 
well  to  use  one-half  or  three-quarter-inch  netting  on  all 
openings  in  poultry  houses,  as  the  birds  can  get  through 
ordinary  inch-mesh  netting.  Where  the  front  is  open 
practically  all  the  time,  as  is  the  case  in  the  south,  these 
pests  become  thoroughly  at  home,  multiply  rapidly, 
thanks  to  the  good  feeding  they  are  able  to  secure  from 
the  open  hoppers,  and  in  the  course  of  a  year's  time  con- 
sume great  quantities  of  feed. 

The  house  described  on  pages  47  and  48  is  designed 
for  use  in   semi-tropical   climates,  where   its   free  ventila- 
tion, combined  with  the  shade  afforded  by  the  extra  wide 
eaves,  makes  it  particularly  desirable. 
Houses    of     similar    wide-open     con- 
struction can  be  used  to  excellent  ad- 
vantage  as   colony  houses   for   grow- 
ing   stock   in   all   parts   of   the    south. 
The    buildings     usually    provided    for 
this    purpose    are     almost     invariably 
too   close    and    warm.    After    settled 
weather  chickens  undoubtedly  will  do 
much  better  if  given   open-air  condi- 
tions   such    as    are     afforded    by   this 
house. 

As  here  illustrated  it  is  used  for 
a  laying  flock,  the  nests  being  placed 
on  the  outside  of  the  building  and  at- 
tached to  it  by  means  of  stout  hooks. 
The  fowls  reach  the  nests  through 


suitable  doors  (seen  on  the  left  side),  and  eggs  are  gath- 
ered from  the  outside,  the  top  being  on  hinges.  The 
perches  are  arranged  in  two  sets  located  on  either  side, 
with  a  three  or  four-font  passageway  through  the  cen- 
ter. They  are  hinged  at  the  side  to  swing  out  of  the 
way,  and  in  this  illustration  are  shown  hooked  up,  as 
they  usually  are  left  during  the  day.  Notice  that  the 
perches  instead  of  being  placed  close  together  as  is 
usually  the  practice  in  the  north,  are  spaced  wide  apart 
so  that  the  fowls  will  not  be  bunched  on  them  at  night. 

No  droppings  boards  are  provided  for  ordinary  use. 
If  a  concrete  floor  is  provided  every  practical  require- 
ment is  met  by  covering  it  with  an  inch  or  two  of  clean 
sand.  For  colony  use  the  houses  rest  directly  on  the 
ground  and  instead  of  constant  cleaning  are  simply 
moved  to  a  new  location  from  time  to  time.  The  top 
ventilator  affords  an  outlet  for  the  warm  air  in  the 
upper  part,  this  method  of  construction  maintaining  a 
constant  circulation  through  the  house  even  when  there 
is  no  breeze  at  all.  If  to  be  used  as  a  movable  house, 
it  will  be  necessary  to  brace  it  well,  as  there  are  no 
boards  on  the  sides  to  help  to  stiffen  the  frame,  and  it 
will  quickly  become  racked  out  of  shape  unless  thorough- 
ly braced  at  all  corners. 

For  use  in  the  extreme  south,  where  protection  from 
extreme  heat  is  the  principal  object  sought,  the  house 
illustrated  in  Fig.  77,  has  been  found  very  satisfac- 
tory. This  house  was  designed  by  J.  T.  Gratigny  of 
Southern  Florida  and  is  the  result  of  many  years'  ex- 
perience in  poultry  keeping  in  that  semi-tropical  climate. 
The  walls  of  the  house  consist  exclusively  of  one-inch 
mesh  netting  and  are  about  four  feet  high  at  the  eaves. 
The  nests  are  placed  on  the  ground  under  the  eaves  and 
are  entered  by  the  hens  from  the  house,  while  the  eggs 
are  gathered  from  the  outside.  The  particular  house 
here  shown  is  portable  and  for  that  reason  has  no  floor. 
For  permanent  houses  concrete  floors  are  recommended. 
The  perches  are  placed  on  horizontal  frames  located  on 
each  side  of  the  house,  with  a  four-foot  passageway 
through  the  center.  Perches  are  about  three  feet  above 
the  floor  and  the  frames  are  hinged  at  back  to  swing  up 
out  of  the  way  when  droppings  are  to  be  cleaned  out. 

AN  OPEN  FRONT  LAYING  HOUSE 

This  Type  of  House  is  Quite  Popular  in  Sections  Where 

Winters  Are  Not  Too  Severe.     Front  is 

Always  Open. 

The  house  shown  in  Figs.  90  and  91  represents  one 
method  of  open-front  construction.  No  curtains  of  any 
sort  are  provided  for  this  house  as  regularly  planned,  the 


FIG.    89 — LARGE    LAYING    HOUSE    IN    MORRISTOWN     (TBNN.)     DISTRICT 


Curtains  usually  are  closed  only  in  extremely  cold  weather  but,  as  in 
the  case  with  the  house  illustrated  above,  they  may  be  partially  drawn  in 
warm  weather  to  provide  shade. 


50 


POULTRY  HOUSES  AND  FIXTURES 


FIG.    90 — A   POPULAR   OPEN-FRONT   HOUSE 

low  front  and  shape  of  roof  being  depended  upon  to  keep 
rain  and  snow  from  beating  in.  For  a  small  house,  where 
the  owner  wishes  to  be  free  from  the  necessity  of  adjust- 
ing curtains  to  meet  changing  weather  conditions,  and 
with  small-combed  fowls,  this  plan  gives  good  results.  It 
is  being  used  successfully  even  in  comparatively  cold  cli- 
mates. The  following  description  of  this  house  is  by  the 
originator,  Jos.  Tolman: 

"This  fresh-air  house  is  a  very  simple  one  to  con- 
struct, as  will  be  seen  by  noting  the  photographic  view 
and  plans.  It  is  a  plain  hip-roofed  building  with  the  long 
pitch  of  the  roof  to  the  front  or  south.  The  roof  and 
closed  sides  are  of  one-inch  boards,  shingled,  making  tight 
walls  and  roof.  The  eaves  are  about  four  feet  from  the 
ground  and  the  peak  of  the  roof  is  a  little  over  seven  feet. 
The  house  is  eight  feet  wide  by  14  feet  long,  and  has  a 
window  in  the  center  of  the  west  side  and  a  door  in  the 
center  of  the  east  side,  directly  opposite  the  window.  In 
operating  this  house  in  summer,  both  the  door  and 
window  are  removed  and  replaced  with  wire  netting.  The 
south  front  is  always  open,  being  closed  in  by  one-inch 
wire  netting  only.  This  part  of  the  house  is  wheie  it  differs 
from  other  fresh-air  plans.  The  house  is  run  wide  open  in 
front  both  night  and  day,  storm  and  sunshine,  all  the  year 
around.  A  gate  is  provided  in  this  wire  front  to  give  the 
birds  access  to  the  yard. 

"For  those  who  are  using  the  Tolman  house  in  ex- 
ceptionally bleak,  cold  locations,  I  recommend  the  use  of 
a  coarse,  unbleached  muslin  curtain  immediately  in  front 
of  the  roosts.  The  location  of  the  roosts  in  my  improved 
houses  gives  an  excellent  opportunity  to  place  this  cur- 
tain in  front  of  the  same  so  that  it  can  be  operated  con- 
veniently, thus  insuring  the  best  results  in  the  coldest 
climate  in  America.  The  muslin  curtain  should  be  loosely 
tacked  upon  a  light  wooden  frame,  the  frame  being  hung 
with  hinges  from  the  front  roof  directly  in  front  of  the 
ends  of  the  two  side  roosts  and  should  extend  no  lower 
than  the  droppings  board.  During  the  day  when  not  in 
use,  the  curtain  can  be  fastened  up  to  the  roof  out  of  the 
way  by  means  of  a  wooden  button,  conveniently  placed. 
If,  on  the  last  visit  to  the  house  at  night,  the  attendant 
thinks  that  the  temperature  is  going  to  be  many  degrees 
below  zero,  the  curtain  may  be  dropped.  My  advice  is 
never  to  use  the  curtain  except  in  the  most  extreme  cold 
weather,  when  the  temperature  is  zero  or  below.  I  prefer 
to  place  the  curtain  in  front  of  the  roosts  rather  than  in 
the  front  part  of  the  house,  for  if  used  as  I  advise,  more 
animal  heat  is  retained  and  practically  the  same  amount 
of  fresh  air  reaches  the  birds,  owing  to  the  arrangement 
of  the  roosts  and  droppings  board  and  the  position  of  the 
curtain  or  muslin  screen. 


MATERIAL,   FOR   HOUSE   8x14   FEET 

300   sq.    ft.    hemlock    boarding1. 

40   lin.    ft.    of   2x4   joists. 
157  lin.  ft.  of  2x3  joists. 
1   window,   7x8-inch  elass. 

Window    frame   for   same. 
11A    M.    shingles   to   be   laid   5    in.   for   roof. 
\\'z   M.  shingles  laid  6  in.  for  sides. 

"From  observations  I  have  made  I  am  sure  that  the 
most  practical  and  economical  house  will  be  one  about 
half  as  large  again,  or  I  would  have  my  dimensions  14 
feet  wide,  by  21  feet  deep,  with  six-foot  posts  on  the  north 
end,  4j^-foot  posts  on  the  south  end,  and  a  large  window 
in  the  west  side.  The  highest  part  of  the  roof  would  be 
about  10  feet  from  the  ground.  You  would  then  have  a 
house,  ideal  for  all  kinds  of  weather  and  locations,  that 
would  accommodate  from  65  to  80  layers,  according  to 
the  breed,  and  from  four  to  five  males,  and  at  a  very 
small  additional  cost  over  the  figures  given  for  the  8x14- 
foot  house." 

SMALL  HOUSE  WITH  SEMI-MONITOR  ROOF 

Lower  Front  of  This  House  is  Always  Left  Open. 

Sunlight  Reaches  Rear  Part  Through 

Upper  Windows. 

The  semi-monitor  roof  house  is  meeting  with  some 
degree  of  popularity  and  appears  to  be  practical  and  de- 
sirable under  certain  conditions.  The  purpose  of  this 
type  of  construction  is  to  secure  improved  ventilation  and 
to  get  direct  sunlight  in  the  back  part  of  the  house.  It 
would  appear  to  be  especially  fitted  for  use  in  houses  20 


•f  - 


FIG.  91 — PLANS  FOR  OPEN-FRONT  POULTRY  HOUSE 

1 — Floor  plan,  showing-  location  of  platform,  nests,  etc. 
2 — East  end,  showing  location  of  door  and  studs;  3 — West 
end,  with  position  of  window  and  studs.  For  construction 
of  front,  see  illustration  reproduced  from  photo  of  house 
as  it  appears  in  actual  use  (Fig.  90). 


LAYING  HOUSES  TO  MEET  SPECIAL  CONDITIONS 


51 


FIG.    92— SIDE-SECTION  OF  SEMI-MONITOR   POULTRY    HOUSE 


sand  or  earth  floor  only.  In  the  rear 
section  use  clean,  new  straw  litter. 
This  house  may  be  made  with  sand 
or  gravel  floor  filled  in  to  top  of  sill, 
but  we  would  prefer  a  cement  or  con- 
crete floor  (rat  proof)  to  bottom  of 
sill  and  filled  in  with  sand  and  litter 
to  top  of  sill. 

"Where  ground  is  level  house 
stands  with  bottom  of  sills  on  posts 
or  rock  six  inches  above  ground  level 
and  is  boarded  down  to  ground. 
Height  at  peak  is  8  ft.;  at  back,  5  ft.; 
at  north  end  of  front  section,  5  ft. 
6  in.,  and  at  front,  4  ft.  6  in. — all 
measurements  from  ground. 

A  house  built  after  the  foregoing 
plans  is  shown  in  Fig.  93.  To 
make  it  ratproof  it  was  built  with  a 
double-boarded  floor  and  was  placed 
on  posts,  protected  with  inverted 

metal  pans,  as  shown."     The  following  is  the  bill  of  ma- 
terials for  this  house: 

6   posts  7  ft.  long-  to  cut  in  two. 

2  pieces  4x4  in.,   14  ft.  long  for  side  sills. 

2  pieces  4x4   in.   10   ft.   long  for  end  sills. 

4  pieces  2x3   in.   3  ft.   8  in.  long  for  back  studs. 

3  pieces  2x3  in.  5  ft.  long  for  studs. 

2  pieces  2x3   in.   5   ft.  8  in.  long  for  studs. 

3  pieces  2x3  in.   6  ft.   4   in.  long  for  studs. 

2  pieces  2x3  in.   4  ft.  long  for  studs. 

4  pieces  2x3   in.   3  ft.   4  in.   long  for  studs. 

3  pieces  2x3  in.  10  ft.  long  for  plates. 

2  pieces  2x3  in.  10  ft.  long  for  droppings  boards  supports. 

2  pieces  2x3  in.  10  ft.  long,  with  rounded  edges,  for  roosts. 

5  pieces   2x4   in.    8   ft.    9    in.   long  for   rear   rafters. 
5  pieces   2x4   in.   6   ft.   long  for  front  rafters. 

58  sq.  ft.   matched  boards  for  droppings  board  and  door. 

460  sq.    ft.    common   boards   for   sides   and   roof. 

1  full  window    (2  sash  six-light)    4   ft.   3   in.  x  2   ft.  6  in. 

3  three-light  cellar  window  sash  for  monitor  top. 

10  running  feet  of   ^4  -inch,   square-mesh,   heavy   galvanized 

wire  netting,  30  in.  wide  for  open  front. 
500  sq.  ft.  best  roofing  fabric  with  caps  and  nails. 
Bundle  shingles  for  making  eaves  on  north  and  south  sides. 
Nails,   hinges,   spikes,   screws,  etc. 

This  plan  may  readily  be  adapted  to  a  house  of 
larger  size  by  making  the  following  changes:  For  a  col- 
ony house  to  accommodate  a  flock  of  about  100  hens, 
or  for  sections  of  the  same  capacity  in  a  continuous 


feet  or  more  in  width,  also  in  the  south  where  high  roofs 
are  not  objectionable. 

In  the  north  semi-monitor  houses  are  open  to  criti- 
cism, as  they  are  almost  always  drafty  in  cold  weather, 
and  it  frequently  is  necessary  to  put  up  muslin  screens 
in  front  of  the  perches  to  protect  the  fowls  while  on  the 
roost.  In  wide  houses  it  sometimes  is  desirable  also 
to  divide  the  house  through  the  middle  with  a  muslin 
partition  to  prevent  drafts  on  the  floor.  Figures  92 
and  93  illustrate  a  house  of  this  type,  which  is  described 
by  the  designer,  Dr.  P.  T.  Woods,  as  follows: 

"The  plans  given  herewith  are  for  an  open-air  house 
10  feet  wide  by  fourteen  feet  deep.  A  10xl4-foot  house 
will  accommodate  35  layers  and  may  be  used  satisfac- 
torily for  smaller  flocks  of  from  12  to  25  breeders.  The 
plans  are  for  a  colony  house,  but  same  may  be  consid- 
ered as  the  first  sections  of  a  continuous  house,  if 
desired. 

"Fig.  92  shows  side  (sectional)  elevation.  Position 
of  posts,  studs,  plates  and  rafters  is  clearly  shown.  Dotted 
lines  show  position  of  window  in  the  west  wall.  Door 
placed  between  two  highest  studs  in  east 
wall,  with  bottom  just  below  top  of  sill  ' 
to  break  joint  and  stop  draft.  Door 
opens  outward  and  hinges  on  the  north 
side.  A  screen  door  of  one-inch  mesh 
hexagon  netting  should  be  made  to 
open  in,  just  inside  solid  door.  This  is  ; 
useful  in  summer  or  at  any  time  when 
it  is  desired  to  have  door  open.  It  will 
be  noted  that  the  south  front  is  boarded 
down  six  inches  from  the  top  and  up 
18  inches  from  the  bottom.  The  bal- 
ance of  space  is  always  open,  being  cov- 
ered only  by  one-quarter-inch  square- 
mesh  galvanized  wire  netting.  The  act- 
ual opening  in  front  is  two  and  one- 
half  feet  high  by  about  10  feet  wide. 
X  is  a  12-inch  board  notched  to  receive 
rafters,  and  is  nailed  to  upright  studs 
to  serve  the  double  purpose  of  a  sup- 
port for  front  rafters  and  as  a  stop  draft. 
XX  is  litter  board,  extending  from  floor 
level  to  four  to  six  inches  above  sill. 
and  should  be  used  to  keep  litter  in 

rear    section    of    house.      It     should     be  ,**•'** 

made  removable,  resting  in  cleats.     The    ' 
front  section  of  the  house   should   have  FIG.  93 — SMALL  SEMI-MONITOR  POULTRY  HOUSE 


52 


POULTRY  HOUSES  AND  FIXTURES 


house,  it  is  recommended  that  the 
floor  dimensions  be  20x20  feet,  with 
the  rear  section  12  feet  deep.  The 
rear  should  be  5^  feet  high,  and  the 
front  of  the  monitor  section  9  feet. 
The  low  section  should  be  6  feet. 
where  it  joins  the  monitor  section, 
and  4j^  feet  in  the  front.  Four  6- 
light  sashes  should  be  provided  for 
the  monitor  top.  Two  sashes  of  the 
same  size  are  placed  side  by  side  in 
the  west  wall — opposite  the  door — 
and  another  is  placed  well  up  in  the" 
front  section,  on  the  east  side  near 
the  door.  A  solid  partition  reaching 
from  floor  to  roof  is  placed  in  the 
middle  of  the  pen  and  extending  to 
within  9  ft.  6  in.  of  the  front,  frorr 
which  point  an  18-inch  partition  ex- 
tends clear  to  the  front.  This  partition  is  to  protect  the 
fowls  from  drafts  while  on  the  perches  and  on  the  floor. 
If  a  continuous  house  is  built  it  is  recommended  that 
solid  partitions  be  provided  between  pens. 

SEMI-MONITOR  HOUSE  AT  OHIO  EXP.  STATION 

Large   Houses   of  This  Type   Must   Have  the   Front 

Enclosed  With  Glass  and  Muslin  for  Use 

in  Cold  Weather. 

By   W.   J.    BUSS 

This  house  is  24x100  feet  in  size.  It  is  divided  into 
six  pens,  each  15x24  feet,  and  a  feed  room,  10x24  feel. 
The  feed  room  is  located  in  the  center  of  the  house.  Par- 
titions of  matched  sheathing  divide  the  feed  room  from 
the  pens.  Partitions  of  two-inch  mesh  poultry  netting 
are  used  to  divide  the  pens. 

A  concrete  foundation  wall  is  used  under  the  house. 
A  tile  drain  was  laid  in  the  outside  bottom  of  the  trench 
dug  for  the  wall.  No  wooden  sills  are  used  on  the  con- 
crete wall.  The  studs  are  fastened  to  the  wall  by  means 
of  an  iron  pin  placed  in  the  bottom  of  each  and  in  the 
concrete  wall. 

No  artificial  floors  are  used  in  the  pens.     A  concrete 


FIG.    95— A    SIX-PEN    SEMI-MONITOR    LAYING   HOUSE 

The  house  illustrated  above  is  in  successful  use  on  the  poultry  plant 
of  the  Ohio  Experiment  Station  and  is  recommended  by  the  Station  as  adapted 
to  Ohio  conditions  generally.  The  narrower  opening's  in  the  lower  front 
are  protected  by  muslin  shutters  in  severe  weather.  The  larger  openings, 
also  all  those  in  the  upper  front,  are  equipped  with  glass  sashes — not  all  in 
place  at  time  photo  was  taken. 


well  drained,  artificial  floors  would  probably  be  needed 
to  prevent  the  pens  from  becoming  damp. 

The  deeper  openings  shown  in  the  front  of  the  house 
in  Fig.  95  are  fitted  with  windows  for  cold  weather  use; 
the  shallower  ones,  with  curtains.  The  curtain  frames 
are  made  of  Ix4-inch  strips,  nailed  together  at  the  cor- 
ners. These  frames  are  covered  with  a  very  thin  grade  of 
muslin.  Two  doors  in  the  rear  of  each  pen  near  the 
eaves  are  not  shown  in  the  illustrations.  These  are  20 
inches  high  and  45  inches  long.  All  windows  and  cur- 
tained openings  and  openings  for  the  doors  in  the  rear 
of  the  house  are  closed  with  one-inch  mesh  wire  netting. 
This  netting  in  one  of  the  curtained  openings  in  each 
pen  is  fastened  to  a  removable  frame,  which  makes  a 
convenient  place  through  which  to  put  straw  into  the 
pens  and  remove  the  litter. 

The  windows  in  the  upper  part  of  the  house  are 
hinged  at  the  bottom  to  swing  in.  The  curtains  and  win- 
dows in  the  front  of  the  house  are  hinged  at  the  top  to 
swing  in.  The  doors  in  the  rear  wall  of  the  house  are 
hinged  at  the  top  to  swing  out.  Probably  a  more  con- 
venient arrangement  for  these  would  be  to  hang  them  to 
swing  in. 

The  walls  of  the  house  are  of  a  single  thickness  of 
matched  siding.  The  roof  is  made  by  laying  one  thick- 


floor  is  used   in  the  feed  room.     On  ground   that  is  not      ness    of   matched    sheathing   on   the   rafters    and   covering 


PIG.    94 — ELEVATED    POULTRY    HOUSE    AT    MISSOURI    STATE    POULTRY 
EXPERIMENT   STATION 


this  with  one  of  the  better  grades  of 
prepared  composition  roofs,  of  which 
a  number  are  on  the  market. 

A  house  of  this  type,  of  a  size  to 
accommodate  the  desired  number  of 
fowls,  should  prove  satisfactory  in 
places  having  the  same  latitude  as 
Ohio,  and  probably  even  farther  north 
or  south.  This  house  has  been  found 
especially  satisfactory  during  hot 
weather.  In  colder  climates  the  win- 
dows in  the  upper  part  of  the  house 
could  probably  well  be  double-glazed 
to  prevent  radiation  to  a  considerable 
extent.  It  might  appear,  at  first 
sight,  that  the  cost  of  construction  of 
a  house  of  this  type  would  be  greater 
than  of  a  shed  roof  house  of  the 
same  dimensions.  It  will  be  found, 
however,  that  there  will  be  very  lit- 
tle, if  any,  difference  in  the  'cost, 
when  both  houses  are  built  of  the 
same  grade  of  material. 


LAYING  HOUSES  TO  MEET  SPECIAL  CONDITIONS 


53 


I 


LAYING   HOUSE  WITH   ELEVATED   FLOOR 

Houses    With    Floors    Several    Feet    Above    Ground    Are 

Especially  Well  Adapted  to  Damp  Locations 

Under  many  conditions,  especially  in  flat,  damp  loca- 
tions, a  house  with  an  elevated  floor  is  often  desired.  The 
house  illustrated  in  Fig.  94  is  one  that  has  been  in  use  at 
the  Missouri  State  Poultry  Experiment  Stat,  and  is 
highly  recommended.  The  general  details  of  'tnis  house 
will  be  readily  understood  from  a  short  study  of  the  illus- 
tration. It  is  14x28  feet  and  has  a  capacity  of  over  100 
hens.  The  upper  part  is  equipped  with  the  slatted  ventil- 
ators that  were  originated  at  this  station.  The  lower  story 
is  five  feet  high,  making  it  easy  to  work  in.  A  substantial 
concrete  foundation  is  provided,  but  the  underpart  has  a 
dirt  floor.  The  entire  front  underneath  is  open  and  in  the 
coldest  weather  that  may  be  expected  at  this  station  the 
fowls  are  comfortable  and  happy,  wallowing  in  the  dust 
and  soaking  in  the  sunshine.  Regarding  this  house,  Dr. 
Patterson,  formerly  Director  of  the  Station,  writes: 

"We  find  the  second  story  of  this  house  to  be  drier 
than  our.  one-story  houses.  The  opening  for  the  stairway 
which  goes  up  on  the  inside  of  the  house  is  under  the 
droppings  board,  and  as  carbon  dioxide  is  heavier  than 
air,  it  gives  an  opportunity  for  it  to  pass  out  by  going 
down  through  this  opening.  The  lower  story  affords  what 
we  might  term  semi-outside  conditions.  The  temperature 
and  air  are  about  the  same  as  out  of  doors,  but  the  birds 
are  protected  from  the  storm. 

"Where  a  number  of  hens  are  kept  in  one  flock  and 
more  than  one  male  is  used,  the  fertility  is  much  better 
with  the  two-story  house,  for  there  is  always  -a  boss  in 
the  flock,  and  as  he  cannot  be  upstairs  and  down  at  the 
same  time,  he  cannot  control  the  situation  as  he  does  in 
the  one-story  house.  The  contractors  who  have  built  our 
houses  estimate  that  the  cost  of  the  two-story  house  will 
be  the  same  as  the  one-story  house  with  a  concrete  floor. 

"We  find  that  with  windows  under  the  droppings 
board  in  the  rear  of  the  house,  light  is  admitted  to  all  parts 
of  the  floor,  and  as  the  hens  usually  scratch  from  the  light 
in  order  to  see  their  food,  they  keep  the  litter  evenly  dis- 
tributed over  the  floor.  We  also  find  that  the  fowls  like 
to  be  in  a  good  light  during  bad  days  when  they  are  con- 
fined to  the  house." 


WESTERN  WASHINGTON  POULTRY  HOUSE 

Popular   for    Housing    Large    Flocks   in   the    Northwest. 

Has  Special.  Labor-Saving  Attachment  for  Raising 

and  Lowering  Curtains. 

By  GEO.  R.  SHOUP 

The  plans  show  a  house  20x50  which  is  designed  to 
hold  300  Leghorn  layers.  Each  bird  has  only  3^5  sq.  ft. 
of  floor  space,  but  each  also  has  1000  sq.  ft.  to  roam 
around  in,  and  is  far  happier  and  more  contented  and  will 
lay  more  eggs  than  though  she  had  five  sq.  ft.,  as  in  a 
house  8x12  with  20  birds. 

Walls. — In  this  climate  double-wall  construction  is 
not  necessary,  and  it  is  best  to  avoid  it  whenever  possible. 
The  double  wall  offers  a  convenient  harbor  for  rats  and 
mice  as  well  as  mites.  Since  the  double  wall  is  an  expen- 
sive luxury,  we  advise  doing  away  with  the  studding  (the 
up-and-down  2x4's)  entirely.  To  accomplish  this  we  run 
the  boards  up  and  down.  Along  the  top  of  the  sill  a  2x2 
strip  is  spiked  on  top  of  the  sills  all  the  way  around  and 
y$  of  an  inch  from  the  outside  edge.  To  this  strip  the 
boards  are  nailed,  at  the  bottom,  just  flush  with  outside  of 
the  sill  and  resting  on  it.  We  insist  that  rear  windows 
under  the  dropping  boards  are  essential  for  the  proper 
distribution  of  light  so  that  the  litter  will  not  pile  up. 
So  in  cutting  boards  for  the  rear  wall,  cut  some  of  them 
the  required  length  to  cover  the  top  of  the  window  sash 
one  inch. 

The  inside  of  wall  is  then  covered  with  a  strip  of 
light-weight  asphalt  paper.  This  paper  is  brought  up 
two  inches  above  the  rear  wall  so  that  it  can  be  cleated 
onto  the  ceiling  or  sheathing  boards.  This  makes  a  per- 
fectly smooth  inside  wall  which  is  both  mite  and  wind- 
proof.  The  surfaced  side  of  the  lumber,  which  preferably 
is  dry  10-inch  shiplap,  is  turned  outside  so  that  it  can 
readily  be  painted.  The  dropping  boards  and  windows 
cover  the  rest  of  the  rear  wall  below  the  strip  of  asphalt 
paper  on  the  inside,  except  the  12  to  15  inches  between  the 
windows,  which  should  be  whitewashed.  The  minimum 
height  of  rear  wall  should  be  5  feet  4  inches,  made  by 
cutting  a  16-foot  board  into  three  pieces.  It  should  not 
be  over  6  feet  in  any  instance,  as  the  roof  of  the  roosting 
closet  will  be  too  far  above  the  roosting  birds  to  reflect 


FIG.  96— DIAGRAM  OP  FRONT,  AND  CURTAIN  RAISING  DEVICE  FOR  WEST.    WASHINGTON  LAYING  HOUSE 

This  illustration  is  reproduced  from  Western  Washington  Monthly  Bulletin.     It  shows  front  of  house  for  commer- 
cial laying1  flock,  and  method  of  adjusting  curtain.    See  text  for  key  to  lettering.     Complete  plans  on  next  page. 


54 


POULTRY  HOUSES  AND  FIXTURES 


their  own   heat,   which   is   essential   for   their  comfort  in 
cold  weather. 

Run  the  boards  up  and  down  in  the  two  ends  also, 
with  the  smooth  side  out,  covering  all  the  inside  with 
asphalt  paper.  Leave  a  three-foot  opening  for  a  door 


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PIG.   97— PLANS  FOR  BUILDING  THE  WESTERN  WASHINGTON  POULTRY 

HOUSE  FOR  COMMERCIAL  FLOCKS 

House  as  here  planned  is  to  be  built  with  a  board  floor,  but  a  concrete 
floor  is  recommended  wherever  possible  to  provide  it.  The  house  for  which 
this  plan  was  originally  prepared  was  to  be  equipped  with  trap-nests,  but 
regular  platform  nests  may  be  used  instead.  Note  the  incline  at  each  end 
of  the  house  leading  up  to  door,  which  is  16  inches  above  ground  level.  Note, 
also,  manner  of  constructing  dust  bath,  shown  in  cross  section  at  lower 
right-hand  corner.  Reproduced  from  West.  Washington  Monthly  Bulletin. 


6  feet  6  inches  high.  The  front  wall  is  seven  feet  high. 
It  consists  of  one  12-inch  board  at  the  bottom,  a  4-foot 
opening  the  entire  length,  and  two  12-inch  boards  cleated 
together  one  above  the  other  at  the  top.  The  7-inch 
rafter  notches  are  cut  in  the  top  board  every  3  feet  to 
correspond  with  the  rear  notches. 

Roof. — The  front  rafters  are  2x6  inches   12-foot  long 


and  the  rear  2x6  inches  14-foot  long  with  a  3-foot  cave 
in  front  and  a  1-foot  eave  in  the  rear.  This  3-foot  eave 
in  front  gives  a  sightly  appearance  to  the  coop  and  af- 
fords the  necessary  protection  to  the  opening  with  its 
curtain  and  the  feed  trough,  which  is  required  in  this 
particularly  rainy  climate.  We  use  an 
18-inch  eave  over  the  gable  ends  with 
a  6-inch  face  board.  This  protects  the 
ends,  and  especially  the  doors,  so  that 
they  don't  swell  up  and  refuse  to  latch 
The  comb  of  the  Toof  is  10  feet  from 
the  floor.  Use  10-inch  shiplap  for  the 
sheathing  boards.  Shingles  make  the 
most  durable  roof,  but  require  an  enorm- 
ous amount  of  labor  and  time  to  lay  and 
are  not  as  warm  as  the  prepared  roofing. 
The  cost,  exclusive  of  labor,  is  about 
the  same. 

Use  Ix6-in.  x  16-ft.  for  rafter  collar 
beams,  bringing  them  down  as  low  as 
is  consistent  with  ample  head  room. 
These  act  as  girds  and  really  hold  the 
building  together. 

The  Floor — If  cement  is  used,  use  one 
and  one-half  inches  of  a  1-3-5  mixture 
for  the  base  and  one-half  inch  of  a  1-1 
mixture  for  the  top.  If  boards,  use  2x4 
joists,  supported  every  5  feet  on  4x4 
sills,  made  of  2x4's  spiked  together.  No. 
3,  4-inch  flooring  gives  a  satisfactory 
chicken  coop  floor. 

Dusting  Bath — Reserve  18  inches  of 
the  entire  length  of  the  front  floor  area 
of  the  coop  for  a  dusting  bath.  This 
bath  should  be  on  the  original  soil,  not 
on  the  floor  of  the  coop.  It  should  be 
at  least  18  inches  below  the  top  of  the 
12-inch  board  retaining  the  litter.  If  on 
top  of  the  real  ground  it  will  stay  moist 
and  give  more  satisfaction  to  the  birds, 
and  besides  will  not  need  replenishing 
nearly  so  often.  If  too  near  the  top  of 
the  litter  board  the  birds  will  hop  out 
with  several  pounds  of  dirt  on  their 
feathers  and  immediately  shake  it  off  on 
the  nice  clean  litter.  This  dust  bath  is 
placed  where  the  sun  strikes  it  and 
makes  the  ideal  location  for  all  the 
water  and  milk  receptacles,  which  are  set 
in  racks  directly  over  it. 

The  rolling  curtain  illustrated  in  Fig. 
96  can  be  either  raised  or  lowered  in 
a  few  seconds,  and  can  easily  be  hand- 
led in  one  curtain  6  feet  wide  and  20 
feet  long  by  one  winding  of -the  crank 
at  the  end.  When  not  in  use  it  is  rolled 
up  at  least  a  foot  above  the  opening 
under  the  eave  and  is  kept  perfectly 
clean  and  dry  and  ready  for  instant  use 
whenever  needed.  The  anchor  ropes  L 
and  K  wind  up  as  the  curtain  comes 
down,  and  lock  it  at  any  height  the  operator  chooses. 
The  guard  rails  J  placed  at  intervals  of  about  20  feet 
prevent  the  curtain  sagging  out  when  a  door  of  the  coop 
is  opened,  and  an  outward  pressure  of  air  is  created. 

The  roller  is  built  up  of  2-inch  half  rounds,  which  are 
nailed  firmly  together,  enclosing  the  bottom  of  the  cur- 
tain. This  roller  can  be  made  any  desired  length  simply 


LAYING  HOUSES  TO  MEET  SPECIAL  CONDITIONS 


55 


by  breaking  joints.  The  hoisting  de- 
vice may  be  described  as  one  main 
line  rope  (wire  preferred)  which  is 
attached  to  the  loose  ends  of  a  series 
of  loops.  One  end  of  each  of  these 
loops  is  anchored  to  the  building 
above  the  top  of  the  curtain,  Figs. 
D,  F  and  E.  The'-  loop  is  then 
brought  down  under  the  roller  and 
run  through  a  small  iron  awning  pul- 
ley, which  has  been  fastened  securely 
to  the  overhanging  eave  close  to  the 
place  where  the  end  of  the  loop  is 
anchored.  The  loose  ends  of  loops 
are  then  tied  to  the  main  line,  adjust- 
ing them  so  that  they  all  lift  at  the 
same  time  when  the  main  line  is 
tightened.  The  loop  nearest  the 
crank  D,  B,  N,  H,  has  to  be  carried 
back  on  the  main  line  far  enough  so 
that  the  knot  H  does  not  block  the 

pulley  M  when  the  main  line  is  wound  up  in  raising  the 
curtain.  This  necessitates  the  use  of  the  extra  pulley  N. 
All  other  loops  are  duplicates  of  G,  C,  F,  and  are  placed 
at  intervals  of  15  feet  when  a  2-inch  roller  is  used  and 
at  every  10  feet  when  a  smaller  roller  is  used. 

CANADIAN   FARM   POULTRY   HOUSE 

Houses    Built  After    This    Plan    Are  in  Use    in    Nearly 

Every  Province  in  Canada  and  Give  Excellent 

Satisfaction. 

By  PROP.  F.  C.  ELFOHD 

This  house  holds  one  hundred  hens.  It  is  16x32  feet 
and  is  divided  into  two  pens,  each  16  feet  square.  The 
house  has  given  satisfactory  results  on  the  experimental 
farms'  system  for  several  years.  It  has  been  used  in 
every  province  in  the  Dominion  and  may  be  built  with 
a  single  roof  or  with  double  roof  and  straw  loft.  At  Ot- 
tawa the  straw  loft  house  has  been  drier  but  colder  than 
the  shed  roof  house.  There  has  been  absolutely  no  mois- 
ture in  the  litter  or  adhering  to  the  walls  of  this  house. 
Both  houses  are  built  without  drop,  boards,  the  roosts  be- 
ing fastened  to  the  wall  and  the  nests  are  contained  in  a 
cabinet  along  the  outside  walls.  No  trenches  are  dug  for 
the  foundations,  as  the  concrete  slab  which  serves  as  both 
foundation  and  floor  is  laid  directly  upon  the  ground,  the 
top  being  from  10  to  15  inches  above  the  surrounding 
level.  (See  page  14  for  method  of  constructing  a  con- 
crete slab  floor. — Ed.) 

The  walls  consist  of  two  by  four  studding,  resting  on 


FIG.    98 — CROSS 
Courtesy 


SECTION    OF    CONCRETE    COMPART- 
MENT  HOUSE 
of  Alpha  Portland  Cement  Co. 


FIG.    99—CANADIAN   FARMER'S   POULTRY   HOUSE 

This  house  is  a  little  above  the  average  in  cost,  but  in  Canada,  where 
the  winters  are  long  and  severe,  it  pays  to  make  the  laying  flock  comforta- 
ble— in  fact,  is  essential  to  good  egg  production  at  that  season.  Photo  from 
Dominion  Experiment  Farms,  Ottawa,  Canada. 

a  two  by  four  sill,  and  supporting  a  plate  of  two  2x4's. 
These  studs  are  covered  outside  with  only  one  ply  of 
tarred  paper  and  one  inch  tongue-and-groove  boarding, 
or  one-inch  boards  and  battens.  On  inside,  behind  and 
around  the  ends  of  the  roosts,  the  studding  is  covered 
first  with  tarred  paper,  then  with  one  inch  tongue-and- 
groove  boarding.  Inside  partitions  are  covered  with  wire 
mesh  to  within  2^  feet  of  floor,  rest  of  partition  one 
inch  boarding.  The  rafters  are  two  by  fours  covered  with 
one  inch  sheeting  and  ready  roofing,  or,  if  preferred, 
tarred  paper  and  good  cedar  shingles,  laid  4J^  inches  to 
the  weather.  Windows  are  built  between  studs  as  shown, 
and  fitted  with  frames  for  glass,  or  cotton  where  indicated. 
All  sashes  to  be  hinged  to  swing  in.  Outside  of  all  win- 
dow openings  is  covered  with  one  inch  wire  mesh. 

LIST    OF    MATERIAL    REQUIRED    FOR     FARM     POULTRY 
HOUSE  WITH   GABLE  ROOF  AND   STRAW  LOFT 

Studs,  2  inch  x  4  inch — 262^4   lin.  feet ..175.5 

Plate,  2  pcs.  32  feet  x  2  inch  x  4  inch — 64  lin.  ft 43 

Sill,  2  pcs.  32  feet  x  2-inch  x  4-inch — 64  lin.  ft 43 

Sill,  2  pcs.  16  feet  x  2-inch  x  4-inch — 32  lin.  ft _ 21 

Rafters,  24  pcs.  10  feet  x  2  inch  x4  inch — 340  lin.  ft 227 

Floor   (T  &  G)    512   sq.  ft.    (plus  10%) : 564 

Roof  boards,   680   sq.  ft 680 

Shingles,   680   sq.   ft. 
One  roll  building  paper. 

Wall  boarding  (T  &  G)   800  sq.  ft.   (plus  10%) 880 

Ceiling  joists,  17  pcs.   16  ft.  x  2  in.  x  4  in. — 272  lin.  ft....!87 

Ceiling  boards,  68  pcs.  32  ft.  x  1  in.  x  3  in. — 2176  lin.  ft..384 

2  windows  5  ft.  x  5ft.  and  frames,  cotton,  and  wire  mesh. 

2  windows  3%  ft.  x  5ft.  and  frames,  cotton,  and  wire  mesh. 

4  windows   3   ft.   x  5   ft.   and  frames,    glass  and  wire  mesh. 

2  windows  3ft.  x  3%   ft.  and  frames,  glass  only. 

2  doors   2    ft.    9    in.    x   6    ft. 

2  louvered  windows   2   ft.   x   2.%    ft. 

Paint    (3   coats),   hardware    (hinges,   nails,    etc.) 

FOR  TWO-INCH    CONCRETE   FLOOR 

5  bbls.  cement. 
1%   cu.  yds.   sand. 
2%  yds.  gravel. 

A  CONCRETE  POULTRY  HOUSE 

Practical  Plans  for  Concrete  Compartment  House.     Dry 

and  Comfortable  if  Properly  Constructed. 

Concrete  is  coming  more  and  more  into  use  for  all 
kinds  of  farm  buildings,  and  many  concrete  poultry  houses 
have  been  built,  giving  good  satisfaction  as  a  rule.  Con- 
crete walls  are  inclined  to  be  damp,  especially  in  wet 
weather,  and  some  objection  has  been  made  to  the  use  of 
this  material  on  that  account.  However,  dampness  is 
largely  a  matter  of  ventilation,  and  cement  manufacturers 
insist  that  if  this  is  properly  attended  to  there  will  be  no 
difficulty. 

A  concrete  house  with  an  alleyway,  that  can  be  built 
in  any  length  and  that  is  designed  to  serve  either  as  a 
breeding  house  or  laying  house,  is  shown  in  Figs.  98  and 


56 


POULTRY  HOUSES  AND  FIXTURES 


100.  This  plan  is  furnished  by  the  Alpha  Portland  Cement 
Co.  and  will  readily  be  understood  in  its  general  details 
without  a  lengthy  description.  The  floor  should  be  laid 
of  one  part  of  cement  to  two  parts  of  sand  and  three  of 
stone  or  gravel.  The  wall  mixture  is  given  as  1:2^:4. 
The  proportions  suggested  for  the  floor  seem  to  indicate 
that  considerable  stress  is  expected  to  be  borne,  which,  of 
course,  is  seldom  the  case.  It  is  probable,  therefore,  that 
a  mixture  of  1:2^:4  will  answer  just  as  well  for  the  floor. 
The  plan  here  given  calls  for  a  four-inch  wall,  but  a  six- 
inch  wall  is  recommended  in  general  practice.  This  house 
as  here  illustrated  provides  four  pens,  each  11  feet  x  12 
feet  3  inches.  The  outside  dimensions  are  16x45  feet.  In 
a  general  way  the  interior  is  similar  to  that  shown  in 
the  six-pen  breeding  house,  shown  in  Figs.  107  and  109- 
113.  -The  passageway  partition,  however,  is  somewhat 
different,  as  it  is  intended  that  all  feed  hoppers,  troughs, 
water  vessels,  etc.,  shall  be  placed  in  the  passageway,  the 
fowls  having  access  to  them  through  slats  placed  in  the 
partition  under  the  nests.  In  the  plan  the  passageway 
is  three  feet  wide,  but  we  would  suggest  that  this  be 
changed  to  four  feet.  A  three-foot  passageway  obstructed 
by  feed  hoppers,  water  vessels,  etc.,  will  be  found  ex- 
tremely inconvenient.  Four  feet  is  none  too  wide  for  the 
purpose,  the  extra  width  being  secured  by  making  the 
house  a  foot  wider  or  by  taking  it  off  of  the  pens. 

It  will  be  noted  that  above  the  nests  the  partition  is 
to  be  of  solid  cement  plaster  on  metal  lath.  This  is  an  ex- 
cellent feature  and  it  will  be  a  further  improvement  if  the 
partitions  betwen  \he  pens  are  all  of  similar  construction 
for  the  first  six  feet  back  from  the  door,  thus  giving  the 
fowls  a  three-sided  roosting  closet  which  will  protect 


them  from  any  air  currents  while  on  the  perches.  As 
will  be  seen  in  the  cross-section,  this  house  is  provided 
with  collar  beams,  on  a  level  with  the  front  plate  and  it 
will  be  an  easy  matter  to  provide  a  straw  loft,  covering 
the  beams  with  narrow  boards  and  filling  in  the  space 
between  them  and  the  ridge  with  straw.  If  the  floor  of 
this  house  is  properly  constructed,  it  should  be  dry  and 
warm,  but  the  straw  loft  will  greatly  assist  in  keeping 
the  house  comfortable  in  severe  weather.  The  perch  sup- 
ports, of  course,  are  to  be  hinged  at  the  back  to  swing 
up  out  of  the  way  when  the  platform  is  being  cleaned. 

Straw  Poultry  Houses 

On  farms  where  small  grains  are  extensively  grown 
and  where  the  straw  has  little  cash  value,  one  of  the  least 
expensive  poultry  houses  that  can  be  built  is  a  straw 
house.  When  properly  built  such  a  house  will  be  found 
comfortable  and  healthful  for  the  fowls  and  can  be  made 
convenient  for  the  caretaker  as  well. 

Straw  houses  are  seldom  damp,  and  they  are  always 
warm  in  winter  and  cool  in  summer.  The  supporting 
frame  should  be  substantial,  as  it  has  to  carry  a  heavy 
weight,  and  the  straw  roof  must  be  carefully  built  in  order 
to  insure  its  being  rain-proof.  In  building  straw  sheds  or 
houses  it  is  especially  important  to  pack  the  straw  by 
persistent  tramping  as  the  walls  are  built  up,  otherwise 
the  straw  will  settle  and  separate  along  the  line  where 
walls  and  top  meet.  If  the  inside  of  the  house  is  lined 
with  poultry  netting,  this  will  prevent  the  fowls  from 
picking  and  scratching  the  straw  from  the  walls,  which 
they  are  certain  to  do  if  no  protection  is  provided.  Avoid 
trouble  with  mites  by  keeping  perches  away  from  walls. 


Showing  Exterior\ 


Showing  Interior 

?— O .- * <?'-   O  • 


PIG.   100— PLANS  FOR  COMPARTMENT  HOUSE   BUILT  OP  CONCRETE 


CHAPTER    V 


Comfortable  Houses  for  Breeding  Pens 

Why  Houses  for  Breeding  Pens  Should  Be  Especially  Designed — Plans  for  Low-Cost  Buildings  Accommodating'One 
and  Two  Small  Flocks— Comfortable  Houses  that  Can  Be  Built  to  Provide  for  Any  Desired  Number  of  Pens- 
Breeding  Houses  for  Cold  and  Moderate  Climates— Plans  Designed  to  Save  Time  and  Labor  of 
Attendant  and  to  Provide  Most  Favorable  Conditions  for  Fowls. 


HE  chief  requirements  of  breeding  houses,  as  com- 
pared with  laying  houses,  are  that  the  former 
should  be  more  warmly  constructed,  and  they 
usually  are  smaller  in  size,  as-  it  seldom  is  desir- 
able to  keep  breeding  fowls  in  large  flocks.  Breeding 
pens  generally  are  allowed  more  floor  space  than  would 
be  given  to  the  same  number  of  fowls  in  regular  laying 
flocks.  For  this  reason  there  is  comparatively  little 
bodily  heat  available  for  warming  their  house  or  pen, 
and  this  must  be  offset  by  warmer  construction.  Where 
several  pens  are  to  be  kept  in  a  compartment  house,  a 
passageway  along  the  rear  usually  is  provided,  in  order 
to  economize  time  and  avoid  disturbing  the  fowls  un- 
duly in  regular  daily  care. 


ONE-PEN  BREEDING  HOUSE 
Convenient   House   for   Small   Breeding   Pen. 
With   Elevated   Dust  Box, 


Equipped 


For 


By  P.  W.  CARMEN 

a  breeding  house  for  one  small  pen, 
the  one  illustrated  in  Fig.  101  is  practical  and  con- 
venient. Note  especially  the  arrangement  for  a  sunny 
dust  box,  which  will  be  greatly  enjoyed  by  the  fowls 
in  winter  when  it  is  impossible  for  them  to  get  outdoors. 
With  breeding  stock  it  is  espec.ally  necessary  to  take  all 
practical  steps  to  insure  the  comfort  of  the  fowls,  if  fer- 
tile, strongly  vitalized  eggs  are  to  be  produced  in  the  win- 
ter months. 

The  house  is  14  feet  long  10  feet  wide,  seven  feet 
high  in  front  and  six  feet  in  the  rear,  with  shed  roof.  It 
may  be  built  singly,  or  two  or  more  in  a  row.  The  frame 
is  made  of  2x4  hemlock,  and  the  siding,  drop,  boards,  etc., 
are  of  N.  C:  pine,  eight  inches  wide.  The  back,  sides  and 
roof  are  covered  with  tarred  paper,  and  the  roof  has  an 
extra  covering  of  roofing  paper.  Give 
the  floor  a  good  layer  of  sand  and  then 
put  about  six  inches  of  hay  or  straw 

n   that.      In   the   front   of  the   building, 

n  the  west  side,  18  inches  above  the 
floor,  is  a  dust  box  three  feet  wide,  six 
feet  long  and  eight  inches  deep.  Eigh- 
teen inches  of  this  box  projects  beyond 
the  front  of  the  building,  and  when  the 
sash  is  in  position  the  whole  thing 
forms  a  sort  of  bay  window.  You  will  be 
surprised  to  see  how  the  chickens  enjoy 
a  dust  bath  in  this  window.  Under  the 
part  that  comes  in  the  building  build 
six  nest  boxes  about  12x14  inches.  Over 
the  dust  box  (with  the  top  hinged  to 
the  building  and  the  bottom  resting  on 
the  outer  edge  of  the  box)  is  a  hot  bed 
?ash  3x6  feet.  This  sash  can  be  raised 
in  warm  weather,  and  with  a  cover  over 
it  for  a  sunshade,  it  is  a  fine,  cool  place 
for  biddy.  The  door  to  the  pen  is  in  the 
front  near  the  east  side  and  is  divided 


into  two  equal  parts,  top  and  bottom,  each  part  being 
3x3  feet.  A  curtain  three  feet  square  is  used  for  the 
upper  half  and  is  hinged  on  the  outside. 

This  curtain  is  very  useful  on  stormy  days  when  the 
vvind  blows  hard.  The  roost  platform  is  two  feet  from 
the  ground  and  is  four  feet  wide  and  seven  feet  long.  To 
make  the  platform,  we  batten  six  pieces  of  eight-inch 
boards  together  and  board  up  where  the  end  of  the  roost 
comes,  allowing  the  boards  on  the  end  to  go  two  inches 
below  the  roost  platform  so  the  platform  has  a  cleat  to 
slide  on,  and  in  that  way  it  is  an  easy  matter  to  remove 
and  clean.  Make  the  roost  poles  of  2x3  material  and 
round  the  upper  edges.  Secure  them  at  the  ends  by  patent 
brackets,  or  notch  out  a  block  and  nail  on  each  side  of 
them  to  fit  in.  They  are  placed  six  inches  above  the  plat- 
form, the  rear  one  being  14  inches  away  from  the  back  of 
the  building,  and  the  front  one  18  inches  from  the  back 
one. 

This  house  will  take  about  600  square  feet  of  boards, 
15  wall  strips  14  feet  long,  six  rolls  of  tar  paper  and  three 
rolls  of  roofing  paper,  besides  one  hot  bed  sash  3x6  and 
four  pairs  of  hinges,  nails,  etc. 

SMALL  TWO-PEN   BREEDING  HOUSE 

The    House   Used    in   Connecticut   Egg   Laying   Contest. 

Accommodates  Two  Breeding  Flocks  of  12  to 

16  Fowls  Each. 

By   ROY   E.   JONES   and   LESLIE   E.   CARD  * 

Frequently  the  back-yard  poultryman  who  is  sys- 
tematically breeding,  either  for  exhibition  quality  or  to 
establish  a  high  egg-laying  strain,  needs  a  convenient 
house  for  two  or  more  small  pens.  For  this  purpose  the 
house  used  in  the  International  Egg-Laying  Contest  at 


3= 

/COOK  TO  I 


-l?0(X>T  BOARDED  < 


6NC5T  UNDER  CuW  BAT 


FIG.    101 — PLANS    FOR    BUILDING    ONE-PEN    BREEDING    HOUSE 


58 


POULTRY  HOUSES  AND  FIXTURES 


FIG.    102— CROSS    SECTION    OF    TWO-PEN    BREEDING    HOUSE 
Reproduced  from  Bulletin  81,  Storrs    (Conn.)    Experiment  Station. 


the  droppings  boards  at  one  end  and  the  win- 
dow at  the  other.  The  feeding  rack,  which, 
supplies  both  pens,  is  made  of  slats  so  that 
all  filth  may  fall  through  to  the  floor.  A 
large  enough  opening  is  left  above  to  admit  a 
drinking  pan  which  supplies  both  pens.  The 
feeding  rack  also  supports  a  mash  hopper  in 
each  pen.  Small  removable  boxes  for  grit, 
shell  and  charcoal  are  fastened  to  the  parti- 
tion above  the  feeding  rack  and  within  easy 
reach.  The  rear  half  of  the  partition  between 
the  pens  is  boarded  up  solid,  while  the  front 
half  is  boarded  for  only  two  feet  from  the 
floor,  or  to  the  level  of  the  curtain  sill  in 
front,  the  upper  part  being  made  of  two-inch 
mesh  wire  netting.  The  house  is  being  used 
with  a  dirt  floor,  but  is  so  constructed  that  a 
board  floor  may  be  put  in  if  it  is  found 
desirable. 

Following    is   a   bill    of    materials    for   this 
house: 

BILL    OF   MATERIALS 


the  Connecticut  (Storrs)  Experiment  Station  is  especially 
desirable. 

This  house  is  12x12  feet,  6  feet  high  at  the  eaves  and 
8  feet  4  inches  at  the  peak.  It  is  divided  through  the  mid- 
dle in  order  to  accommodate  two  pens.  With  the  partition 
removed  it  would  afford  sufficient  capacity  for  30  to  35 
hens.  For  ordinary  use,  where  it  is  not  desired  to  trap- 
nest,  the  back  may  be  cut  down  at  least  a  foot  and  the 
roof  made  two-thirds  instead  of  even  span,  thus  reducing 
the  air  space  and  making  the  house  warmer.  The  house, 
as  shown,  gives  more  head  room  for  the  attendant,  and 
this  is  important  when  birds  are  being  trapnested  and 
many  trips  have  to  be  made  to  the  back  part  of  each  pen. 

Fig.  104  shows  a  general  view  of  this  house,  indicating 
size  and  location  of  doors  and  cloth  curtains.  The  muslin 
curtains  are  hinged  at  the  top  and  swing  in,  being  fastened 
up  by  means  of  hooks  made  from  thin  strap  iron.  Fig.  102 
is  a  cross  section  of  the  house.  The  windows  slide  toward 
the  front.  The  roosts  and  droppings  boards  are  movable, 
as  are  also  the  trapnests  which  are  hung  beneath  the  drop- 
pings boards.  The  exit  door  for  the  hens  slides  up  and 
down  and  is  held  open  by  means  of  a  piece  of  wire  looped 
over  a  nail  in  the  door.  The  2x3-inch  girder  across  the 
end  of  the  house  is  placed  in  such  a  way  as  to  support 


Skids — 2   pieces,   4x6   in.,   14   ft. 

Studding — 12   pieces,   2x3   in.,   12   ft. 

Rafters — 5   pieces,   2x3   in.,   14  ft. 

Matched  boards — 700   feet,   board  measure. 

Roofing  paper — 4  rools. 

Windows — 2    sash,    each   containing   6-10x12    in.   lights. 

Unbleached    muslin — 3    yards,    36    in.    wide. 

Wire — 25   feet   2   in.   mesh,   36   in.   wide. 

Nails — 10   Ibs.    8d,    5    Ibs.    lOd,    4   Ibs.    20d. 

Hinges — 4  loose-pin  butts  for  curtains,  4  T-hinges  for  doors. 

Locks   or  latches  for   doors. 


*  From   Bulletin   81,   Storrs    (Conn.)    Exp.   Station. 


FIG.   103— FLOOR  PLAN  OF  TWO-PEN  BREEDING 

HOUSE 
Reproduced   from    3ul.    81,    Storrs    (Conn.)    Exp.    Station. 


FIG.  104— PRACTICAL  HOUSE  FOR  TWO  SMALL 

BREEDING    PENS 
Photo   from   Storrs    (Conn.)    Exp.   Station. 

THE  MINNESOTA  MODEL  HOUSE 

Especially  Recommended  for   Breeding  Flocks.     Also  is 

An   Excellent   House   for   Regular   Laying   Flocks 

Where  Winters  Are  Severe. 

By   PROF.   A.   C.   SMITH 

This  house  is  designed  to  meet  the  requirements  of 
the  average  Minnesota  poultry  keeper,  particularly  the 
farmer,  and  it  is  believed  that  it  does  this  to  an  unusual 
extent.  The  four  principal  faults  to  be  found  with  or- 
dinary poultry  houses,  particularly  as  they  apply  to  Min- 
nesota conditions,  are: 

1.  They  are  not  well   constructed,  and  consequently 
are  too  cold  in  winter.     Much  better  egg  production  might 
be  had  during  the  winter  months  if  the  houses  were  more 
comfortable. 

2.  They   have   a   poor   system   of  ventilation,   if   any. 


COMFORTABLE  HOUSES  FOR  BREEDING  PENS 


59 


This  results  in  the  house  being  too  damp  or  too  cold. 
In  many  houses  no  provision  whatever  is  made  for  ven- 
tilation, other  than  leaving  the  door  open  for  a  certain 
length  of  time  on  a  mild  day,  which  in  this  climate  very 
often  cocHs  the  house  too  much.  Even  when  provision 
for  ventilation  is  made,  it  is  often  by  a  system  that  does 
not  give  opportunity  for  sufficient  regulation  to  meet 
changes  in  the  weather,  as  by  hinged  windows  or  muslin 
frames,  which  must,  from  the  nature  of  their  construction, 
be  either  closed,  and  supply  insufficient  ventilation,  or 
wide  open,  when  frequently  altogether  too  much  cold  air 
enters  and  altogether  too  much  heat  escapes.  For  the 
above  reasons,  particularly  when  south  winds  pievail  dur- 
ing cold  weather,  these  hinged  windows  or  curtains  must 
be  closed.  Through  glass  windows  no  moisture  escapes, 
and  through  muslin  too  little  escapes,  because  it  is  too 
closely  woven.  Houses  with  insufficient  ventilation  are 
always  damp,  and  the  air  they  confine  is  impure.  The 
odor  in  such  a  house  is  always  offensive,  even  if  the 
impure  air  is  not  a  menace  to  health,  which  might  be 
questioned.  Dampness  is,  beyond  doubt,  the  greatest 
menace  to  good  health  and  good  production  in  the  poul- 
try house. 

3.  Poor  floors.     Earthen  floors,  the  top  of  which  is 
below  the  outside  level,  make  the  houses  very  damp  and 
uncomfortable.     Wooden   floors  are   hard  and   are   often 
very  cold,  unless  covered  with  a  deep  litter  of  straw  or 
leaves — and  even  these   should  be  on  top  of  a  three   or 
four-inch  layer  of  fine  sand.     In  the  absence  of  sand  or 
loam,  shavings  probably  make  the  best  substitute. 

4.  There    is    no    provision    for    separating    the    flock. 
There  are  many  seasons  during  the  year  when  it  is  most 
advantageous  to  separate  the  flock.   In  the  fall  there  often 
are  many  surplus  cockerels,  not  ready  for  market,  -which 
cannot  be  kept  with  the  females  except  to  the  detriment 
of    both;    for    under    such    conditions    the    cockerels    gain 
very  little  weight,  and  the   females   being  constantly  an- 
noyed,  develop   slowly   and   lay  poorly.     To   get   a   good 
return  for  food  and  care,  the  cockerels  must  be  separated 
from  the   females.     If  the  hatches  were  early,  the  cock- 
erels should  be  sold  before  it  becomes  necessary  to  house 
them,  because  the  price  will  be  considerably  higher  than 
later  in  the  season,  when  the  market  is  glutted  with  stock. 

A  two-pen  house  is  advantageous  in  that  the  pullets 
and  hens  of  the  flock  may  be  separated.  Pullets  are  sure 
to  be  intimidated  by  the  older  birds,  and  do  much  better 
when  kept  in  separate  flocks.  In  the  spiing,  again,  a 
two-pen  house  is  a  distinct  advantage,  since  the  most 
rugged  and  healthy  specimens  may  be  separated  and  used 
exclusively  as  breeders.  These  may  be  allowed  more 
room  per  bird,  fed  differently,  and  provided  with  greater 
range,  while  the  balance  of  the  flock  is  forced  for  eggs. 
When  these  existing  conditions  are  considered,  it  is  be- 
lieved that  the  following  features  of  this  plan  .will  meet 
the  approval  of  poultry  keepers  in  general: 

The  fundamental  idea  in  ventilating  a  poultry  house 
is  to  expel  the  impure  air  as  well  as  the  excess  of 


FIG.    106 — DETAIL,    OP   VENTILATOR    IN    MINNESOTA 
HOUSE 

moisture,  and  to  retain  at  the  same  time  sufficient  heat 
to  make  the  house  comfortable;  which  last,  in  the  coldest 
weather,  means  all  the  heat  that  can  be  retained  while 
expelling  excessive  moisture  and  impure  air.  A  simple 
ventilating  device  adopted  for  this  house  places  the  con- 
trol of  the  ventilation  absolutely  in  the  caretaker's  hands. 
It  is,  however,  recognized  that  all  ventilation  in  a  poultry 
house  must  come  from  one  direction — that  is,  drafts  can- 
not be  tolerated. 

By  hanging  the  windows  with  weights  and  pulleys  as 
they  are  ordinarily  hung  in  dwellings,  a  greater  or  lesser 
volume  of  air — depending  upon  the  will  of  the  caretaker — 
may  be  allowed  to  enter.  This  will  be  found  equally  ad- 
vantageous in  winter  and  summer,  and  makes  it  unneces- 
sary to  remove  the  sash,  even  in  very  hot  weather,  since 
by  raising  the  lower  sash  three  or  four  inches  and  drop- 
ping the  upper  to  the  level  of  the  lower,  good  circulation 
is  established.  The  object  in  raising  the  lower  sash  no 
more  than  three  or  four  inches  and  lowering  the  upper  to 
the  same  level,  is  two-fold,  but  the  main  reason  for  so 
doing  is  that  the  large  opening,  which  is  in  this  way  pro- 
vided at  the  upper  section,  permits  a  large  volume  of  hot 
air  to  escape.  A  secondary  reason  is  that,  with  the  lower 
sash  no  higher,  the  fowls  cannot  roost  upon  or  soil  the 
windowsill,  whereby  just  so  much  cleaning  is  eliminated. 

During  the  winter  it  is  convenient  to  drop  the  upper 
sash  a  little  through  the  day  to  let  the  dust  and  morsture 
out.  In  the  Minnesota  Model  Poultry  House  the  ventila- 
tion secured  in  this  way  might  be  called  emergency  ven- 
tilation, or,  perhaps,  ventilation  according  to  season,  the 
constant  ventilation  or  the  ventilation  depended  upon  dur- 
ing winter,  coming  chiefly  through  openings  above  the 
windows.  These  openings  may  be  covered  or  not,  and  in 
two  ways:  on  one  side  of  the  inside  frame  is  hinged  a 
burlap-covered  frame,  while  on  the  other  a  solid  wooden 
door  is  hinged.  Obviously  the  caretaker  has  three  options: 
He  may  leave  the  opening  entirely  uncovered — as  he  cer- 
tainly should  during  warm  weather  and  upon  an  occa- 


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CROSS   SECTION 

FIG.   105— FRONT  ELEVATION  AND  CROSS  SECTION  OF  MINNESOTA  MODEL   POULTRY  HOUSE 
Reproduced  from  Minnesota  Farm  Inst.  Annual  No.  27. 


60 


POWLTRY  HOUSES  AND  FIXTURES 


FIG.    107- 


oi-  i-eve/ 
-DETAIL,   OF    PEN    FRONT    IN    SIX-PEN    BREEDING    HOUSE 


sionally  mild  day  in  midwinter,  particularly  if  the  building 
has  for  any  cause  become  damp,  as  will  be  the  case  if 
frost  accumulates  on  the  walls  and  vaporizes  so  rapidly 
that  the  air  will  not  hold  the  moisture  and  the  litter  be- 
comes damp  from  the  drip — a  situation  which  may  be 
avoided  by  opening  both  the  wooden  door  and  the  burlap 
frame.  Secondly,  the  caretaker  may  close  the  opening 
with  the  burlap  frame.  This  is  the  method  of  securing 
ventilation  during  cold  weather.  The  coarse,  meshes  of 
the  burlap  do  not  clog  with  dust  as  the  finer  meshes  of 
cotton  do,  and  they  allow  the  moisture  to  escape,  while 
retaining  considerable  heat  and  preventing  a  draft.  In 
ordinary  winter  weather,  during  the  day,  ventilation 
sBould  be  obtained  through  this  burlap,  while  on  very  cold 
nights  the  wooden  door  should  close  the  opening.  Clearly, 
it  is  not  necessary  to  treat  all  three  openings  alike  at  the 
same  time,  since  one  only,  or  two,  may  be  opened. 

A.  cement  foundation  wall  is  best  and  most  desirable 
for  three  reasons:  First,  it  is  most  durable;  second,  it 
gives  better  support  to  the  frame  than  posts  or  pillars; 
third,  almost  every  poultry-keeper  in  these  days  is  famil- 
iar with  simple  cement  construction.  The  wall  should  be 
one  foot  thick  at  base  and  eight  inches  at  the  top,  and 
should  be  fifteen  inches  above  the  ground-level.  This 
construction  allows  the  door  to  swing  over  the  litter, 
which  is  a  convenience. 

When  there  is  a  supply  of  gravel  or  sand  on  the  farm, 
or  this  material  can  be  obtained  without  too  great  ex- 
pense, a  floor  of  gravel  and  sand  or  gravel  and  loam  is 


advised,  on  account  of  its  naturalness, 
and  comfort.  Fill  in  at  bottom  with 
three  inches  of  coarse  gravel  or  small 
stones;  then  four  inches  of  finer 
gravel,  covering  with  a  little  clay,. 
and  roll  or  tramp  hard.  This  will 
make  a  good  cleaning-line.  Next 
cover  with  four  inches  of  fine  sand 
or  dry  loam,  or  a  mixture  of  both. 
This  last  layer  should  be  cleaned  out 
every  summer  and  replaced  by  a 
fresh,  clean  supply.  The  layer  of 
sand  has  a  fertilizing  value  after  it 
has  been  in  the  house  for  a  year.  If 
it  is  sifted  when  put  in,  it  makes  a 
suitable  top-dressing  for  lawns  or 
hay-fields. 

Nail  matched  boards,  running  up 
and  down,  to  outside  of  frame.  Paint 
at  once  with  two  coats  to  avoid 

shrinkage.  If  a  warmer  house  is  desired,  cover  the  walls 
with  double-ply  tarred  paper,  in  one  or  two  layers,  as  de- 
sired. If  a  still  warmer,  better-looking,  or  more  expen- 
sive house  is  desired  cover  this  with  shingles  or  siding. 

When  the  wall  consists  of  but  one  thickness  of 
boards,  this  house  may  be  built  at  as  little  cost  as  it  is 
possible  to  construct  a  comfortable  and  durable  poultry 
house.  On  the  other  hand,  when  the  wall  consists  of  two 
thicknesses  of  boards  with  one  or  more  thicknesses  of 
building  paper — or,  better  still,  two  thicknesses  of  double- 
ply  tarred  paper  between  the  boards,  the  house  becomes 
not  only  very  warm  and  comfortable,  but  an  attractive 
farm  building;  and  if  kept  in  repair  and  painted,  will  so 
remain  indefinitely.  Furthermore,  this  evolution  from  a 
single  wall  to  one  with  double  thickness  of  boards,  be- 
tween which  is  a  double  layer  of  paper,  may  take  place 
at  the  time  of  building,  or  it  may  progress  as  gradually  as 
the  owner  decides. 

For  the  roof,  matched  boards  and  good,  heavy  roofing 
paper  will  be  found  entirely  satisfactory.  Because  a  great 
deal  of  heat  may  escape  otherwise,  the  roof  should  be 
tightly  built;  hence  matched  boards  are  necessary  with 
either  shingles  or  roofing  paper.  It  is  folly  carefully  to 
build  a  warm  and  tight  wall  to  hold  the  heat,  and  then 
cover  the  building  with  a  loosely  constructed  roof  which 
will  certainly  allow  the  heat  to  escape,  making  the  house 
colder  by  several  degrees.  Other  specifications,  dimen- 
sions, etc.,  will  be  found  on  the  accompanying  plan.  (See 
Figs.  105,  106,  and  108.) 


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FIG.     108— FLOOR     PLAN    AND     END     ELEVATION     OF    MINNESOTA    MODEL    POULTRY    HOUSE 
Reproduced  from  Minnesota  Farm.  Inst.  Annual  No.  27. 


COMFORTABLE  HOUSES  FOR  BREEDING  PENS 


61 


LIST    OF    MATERIALS    FOR    MINNESOTA    MODEL 
POULTRY  HOUSE 


Sills   6  pcs.  2x4,  16  ft.  long. 

Studding — 

Rear   wall   3  pcs.  2x4,  12  ft.  long. 

Ends    1    pc.  2x4,  14  ft.  long. 

1     pc.  2x4,  14  ft.  long. 
1    pc.  2x4,  12  ft.  long. 

Front    5  pcs.  2x4,  16  ft.  long. 

3  pcs.  2x4,  12  ft.  long. 

Plates   4  pcs.  2x4,  16  ft.  long. 

Nailing   pieces    between 
sill   and   plate — 

Rear    wall 3  pcs.  2x4,  12  ft.  long. 

West  wall 1    pc,  2x4,  16  ft.  long. 

East    wall 1    pc.  2x4,  12  ft.  long. 

Front    wall 1    pc.  2x4,  20  ft.  long. 

Rafters    16  pcs.  2x6,  18  ft.  long. 

Roosts    5  pcs.  2x6,  10  ft.  long. 

Platform    support 

Cross   pieces....! 

Verti'l  posts....! 

Verti'l  posts....! 
Nest    supports....! 


pc.  2x4, 
pc.  2x4, 
pc.  2x4, 
pc.  2x4, 


16  ft.  long. 
12  ft.  long. 
16  ft.  long. 
12  ft.  long. 
Water  stand 2  pcs.  2x4,  16  ft.  long. 


Cut   to    5%    ft. 

Cut  one  8  ft.,  one  6  ft. 

Cut  one  8  ft.,  one  6  ft. 

Cut  one  8  ft.,  one  4  ft. 

Cut  7  ft.  8  in. 

Cut    3    ft.    6   in. 

Front  and  rear. 


Ripped   to    2x3. 

Cut   4   ft. 
Cut   3    ft. 


.Matched  Boards 


Rear  35   pcs. 

Ends    38   pcs. 

Front  23   pcs. 


6  in.  D  &  M  bds.,  12  ft. 
6  in.  D  &  M  bds.,  14  ft. 
6  in.  D  &  M  bds.,  16  ft. 


Roof    83  pcs.  6  in.  D   &  M  bds.,  16  ft. 

Partition    20  pcs.  6  in.  D   &  M  bds.,  14  ft. 

Roosting   platform    18  pcs.  6  in.  D  &  M  bds.,  16  ft. 

Nest   platform    3  pcs.  6  in.  D   &  M  bds.,  16  ft. 

Top    of    nests    5  pcs.  6  in.  D   &  M  bds.,  12  ft. 


Finish   Lumber 

4 

pcs. 

1x4 

pine 

No. 

1   com. 

S2S, 

1C 

ft. 

Roof. 

4 

pcs. 

1x8 

pine 

No. 

1   com. 

S2S, 

16 

ft. 

Cornice. 

2 

pcs. 

1x2 

pine 

No. 

1   com. 

S2S, 

1C 

ft. 

To    hold    ends 

of 

ro 

of  pi 

iper. 

1 

pc. 

1x4 

pine 

No. 

1   com. 

S2S, 

12 

ft. 

Rear    corner. 

1 

pc. 

1x5 

pine 

No. 

1   com. 

S2S, 

14 

ft. 

Rear  corner. 

1 

pc. 

1x4 

pine 

No. 

1   com. 

S2S, 

16 

ft. 

Front    corner. 

1 

pc. 

1x5 

pine 

No. 

1   com. 

S2S, 

1C 

ft. 

Front    corner. 

1 

pc. 

1x4 

pine 

No. 

1   com. 

S2S, 

18 

ft. 

Door   finish. 

1 

pc. 

1x6 

pine 

No. 

1   com. 

S2S, 

1C 

ft. 

Door   cleats. 

1 

pc. 

1x4 

pine 

No. 

1   com. 

S2S, 

1C 

ft. 

Part,  door  cleat. 

1 

0 

pc. 

1x4 

i  ,.  1 

pine 

No. 

ooc 

1   com. 

'                 f^ll  f\  n  - 

S2S, 

1C 

ft. 

Finish  on  Part. 

door. 

n   4- 

2   pcs.   1x4   pine,   S2S.     Cleats   for   roosting  and   nest   Plat. 

2  pcs.   1x4   pine,   18  ft.      For  finish  on  upper  open  windows. 

3  pcs.   1x4,   10   ft.     For  inside  box  on  upper  window. 
3  pcs.    V£x4,   10   ft.     For  inside  box  on  upper  window. 
1   pc.   1x15,   10   ft.     Equipment  for   small  upper  doors. 
1   pc.   1x12,   4  ft.     For    lowe'r    sliding   doors. 


FIG.  Ill — CROSS  SECTION  OF  SIX-PEN  BREEDING  HOUSE 


Wooden  door  may  be  made  from  a  15-inch  board,  in 
which  case  it  would  be  advisable  to  put  cleats  on  back  to 
prevent  warping.  Matched  stock  bound  by  cleats  may  be 
used. 

Fittings — 3  windows  10x12,  12  light,  1%  inch  sash 
glazed;  3  window  frames  10x12,  12  light,  %  inch  casings, 
2x6  sills;  1  door  frame,  2  ft.  by  8  in.  by  6  ft.  8  in.,  1%  in. 
oak  sill. 

Roofing — 6  squares  of  roofing  (rubberoid  or  equal)  for 
roof.  7  squares  of  double-ply  tarred  paper  or  othe'r-  of 
equal  quality  and  thickness  if  wall  is  to  be  covered.- 

Hardware — 6  lb.  20d  wire  spikes;  20  Ibs.  8d  common  wire 
nails;  2  Ibs.  8d  finishing  nails;  10%xlO  in.  bolts,  with  two 
washers  each  to  fasten  sills  to  foundation;  2  pairs  6-inch 
heavy  T  hinges  (galvanized);  3  pairs  6-inch  hooks  and  eyes; 
1  6-inch  hinge,  hasp  and  staple:  1  padlock;  2  pairs  3-inch 
heavy  hinges;  2  4-inch  hooks  and  eyes. 

Material  for  Foundation 

6   bbls.   Portland  cement;   4  yards  sand. 


Covered    nitt-)    Preoarecf  /?oo/iird     */''*6  ia/mped  Jo/nrs 

XX     Muslin    Covered      Frames     &'-&"    X  3'-6"                                    X     Sashes     /£"  Thick.     IO"HJ1H     Gla9a 
Hinged   at    Top   in     Kolobet&d     Fi-£rn<ss 

= 

—  1 

_ 

I 



_ 

XX 

X  X 

I 

_ 

X 

XX                                     XX 

- 

X 

— 

X 

- 

-- 

x 

- 

JQI—  ,a.«^-.  Q 

[4! 

i'j      <o'  K  &* 

Foundation        Posts  !    !          fo     «io     b«'o»v        Fro&t 
II                        5                                                      +    •           \    I 

/ 
i* 

2'-o"     c-c. 

-ii * 


FIG.   109 — PART  OF  FRONT  ELEVATION  OF  SIX-PEN  BREEDING  HOUSE 

SicJe        - —       -.  —  pname    9G'-6" 


PASSAGE? 
i-Z'-o"  J 


2-8"  —a'-  9-  - 


y        •      n 

II                                 j 
II 

II                 n 
i                 ii 

^J 

"o 

it             —  r 

i                  , 

\=~ 

i 

"v1; 

!   E 

-V?T 

i 

« 

i 

All  Gates   (H) 
Made    Hin&std  "te   Sw'ng   in 

| 

/4//    Partitions,   (T) 
1b  be  covered   to  Koof  n>tb 
&•   Blind    Mat"-hln<^. 

5"^fse''  Soo'-<3s.  3'-o" 

H'Sh-  *'***  2'  Mesh  /fexo- 
^(on  w//-e    Partitions 
-'Er.tertdint?  from    Top  to 
Roof 

„  - 

j 

\ 

-  ^^^i            T^=~H                             ia=si                             ifr=ar  —  •    —  'ig^—  jj'  —  •  —  •  —  ^g^fij 

1 

6'-3i'i":* 

g^s^si^i 

n                                f        —*^~^l 

I 

||   (5-Roo,f3                                        H  >' 

\ 

Dropping    Board 

! 

Hp 

|                  "  fe=^f         |         feWgl 

5-2" -^  -----7'- 8"----     ---^ 5'-9»  4,-...^'./0.t.. ._^ S'.9a J1  '_   7--e.  - .I. 5'-9 

FIG.    110— FLOOR   PLAN    OF   SIX-PEN    BREEDING   HOUSE    WITH    REAR    PASSAGEWAY 


62 


POULTRY  HOUSES  AND  FIXTURES 


FIG.    112 — DETAIL    OF    FEED    TROUGH    AND    WATER.   VESSEL,   IN 
BREEDING   HOUSE 

The  feed  trough,  hinged  at  bottom,  is  shown  open  for  filling  from  the 
passageway,  in  Fig.  1.  A  cross  section  of  open  trough  is  shown  in  Fig  2 
When  feed  is  placed  in  trough  and  closed  it  is  in  position  shown  in  Fig  3 
and  fowls  in  pen  have  full  access  to  contents.  Door  giving  access  to  water 
vessel  is  also  shown  in  Fig.  1,  while  Fig.  5  shows  door  closed.  Fig.  4  shows 
cress  section  of  trough  when  open  for  filling. 


CONVENIENT  EIGHT-PEN  BREEDING  HOUSE 

Just  Right  for  a  Number  of    Single    Pens.     Passageway 

Simplifies  Care  of  Flocks  and  Avoids  Dis- 

turbing the  Fowls. 


gone  to  roost.  When  enclosed  in  this 
roosting  closet  there  is  practically  no 
danger  of  combs  and  wattles  being 
injured  by  freezing,  no  matter  how 
cold  it  may  get.  As  ventilation  is 
generally  inadequate  under  such  con- 
ditions, however,  the  front  curtain 
should  only  be  let  down  in  the  sever- 
est weather. 

In  order  to  prevent  drafts  through 
the  house,  alternate  cross-partitions 
are  ceiled  from  floor  to  roof.  The 
other  cross-partitions  are  boarded  up 
tight  to  a  height  of  three  feet  from 
the  floor  and  covered  with  two-inch 
mesh  netting  from  that  point  to  the 
roof. 

For  the  breeding  pen,  trap-nests 
should  be  used.  Full  details  of  differ- 
ent styles  of  such  nests  are  given  in 
Chapter  X. 

Fig.  110  shows  the  floor  plan  of 
this  house,  with  arrangements  of  par- 
titions, droppings  platforms,  perches, 
etc.,  clearly  indicated. 

Fig.      109     gives     front     elevation, 

showing     windows,     muslin     shutters,    yards,    doors,    etc. 
Fig.  Ill  is  a  cross  section  of  the  house,  showing  par- 


Poultrymen,  as  a  rule,  do  not  now  favor  laying  houses 
with  a  passageway  in  the  rear,  and  there  are  a  number 
of  practical  objections  to  this  feature.  Under  some  condi- 
tions, however,  and  especially  when  a  number  of  small 
breeding  pens  are  to  be  provided  for,  such  passageways  are 
quite  convenient.  The  plan  shown  herewith  has  proved 
especially  satisfactory. 

This  house  may  be  built  any  length,  but  as  here  out- 
lined is  96  feet  6  inches  long  and  16  feet  wide,  with  a 
three-foot  alleyway.  There  are  eight  pens,  each  with  a 
capacity  of  25  to  35  hens  in  laying  flocks  and  about  half 
this  number  if  the  birds  are  to  be  used  as  breeders.  Board 
floor  and  post  foundation  are  indicated,  but  a  concrete 
foundation  and  floor  will  be  found  to  be  much  cheaper  in 
the  long  run,  as  well  as  more  sanitary  and  durable,  also 
rat-proof.  If  a  board  floor  is  decided  upon  it  should  be 
made  double,  as  shown  in  Fig.  14,  on  page  16,  especi- 
ally where  winters  are  cold. 

All  walls  are  ceiled  with  ^4-inch  beaded 
ceiling,  but  no  ceiling  is  provided  overhead, 
though  this  is  recommended  for  extreme,  cli- 
mates. The  roof  is  supported  on  a  4x4-inch 
girder  resting  on  2x4-inch  studs  that  form 
part  of  the  alleyway  partition.  One  by  six- 
inch  tie  pieces  are  run  from  the  rear  wall  to 
the  alleyway  studs,  as  in  Fig.  Ill,  and  no 
other  tying  or  bracing  is  required. 

In  order  to  protect  the  combs  of  valuable 
breeders,  a  roosting  closet  is  provided  in  each 
pen.  Canvas  partitions  extend  from  the  drop- 
pings boards  to  the  roof  and  the  alley  parti- 
tion back  of  the  perches  also  is  canvas,  the 
lower  part  being  made  in  the  form  of  a  shut- 
ter so  that  the  platform  may  be  cleaned  from 
the  alley.  In  front  of  the  perches  a  muslin- 
covered  shutter  is  provided  (see  Fig.  Ill) 
which  can  be  lowered  after  the  fowls  have 


2-  0 


Muslin 


it'-y 


rz'-  of- 


•     FIG.    113 — FRAMING  FRONT   OF  BREEDING  HOUSE 

tition,  nests,  and  a  cross  section  of  the  roosting  closet. 
Note  that  the  outside  doors  of  the  house  are  double 
boarded,  inside  boards  being  placed  diagonally  and  outside 
boards  perpendicularly.  Fig.  107  gives  a  section  of  the 
pen  front  or  inside  elevation  of  pen,  showing  partition 
doors,  wire  partition,  canvas  doors  in  front  of  perches 
and  solid  canvas  partition  from  perches  to  roof. 


FIG.  114— PARTITION  IN  BREEDING  HOUSE  FOR  MILD  CLIMATES 
Reproduced   from  Farmers'   Bulletin   574,  U.   S.   Department 
of   Agriculture. 


COMFORTABLE  HOUSES  FOR  BREEDING  PENS 


63 


BILL,    OF    MATERIALS    FOR    BREEDING    HOUSE 


Size      Length    No.  of 
Inches       Feet     Pieces 


Remarks 


Sills,    sides    4x6          10          20 

Sills,    sides    2x4          10          20 

Sills,    end 4x6          16 

Joists    2x6          16          50 

Girder   ..       4x6          16 

Plates    ..      2x4          10          40 

Studs,    front    2x4          12          28  1    piece   cuts   2 

Studs,    back    2x4          14          25  1    piece   cuts   2 

Studs,   ends   -    2x4          16  7  1    piece   cuts   2 

Studs,    partitions    2x4         16  1   piece  cuts  2 

Short  studs  and   misc....   2x4          10 

Ridge   plate   4x4          10 

Ridge    1x6          10          10 

Rafters  2x6         14 

Rafters  2x4         10         25  l   piece  cuts  2 

Rafter    ties    1x6          12  1    piece   cuts   2 

Support   for   drop.   plat..   2x4          14 

Perches    -  2x4          12 

.Roof    boards   1x10  2000   bd.    meas.     Surfaced 

T  &  G  siding 1x6  1650   bd.   meas. 

Subfloor    1x10  1700   bd.  meas. 

Matched    flrg.,    top   fl....7/8x4  2000   bd.  meas. 

Matched  flrg.  for  drop. 

plat.,  doors,  etc %x4  300  bd.  meas. 

Beaded  ceiling  for  walls 

ceilings  &  partitions  3-16x4  4300  bd.  meas. 

Barge  boards  %x6  250  lin.    feet.     Surfaced 

Sills    for   windows,    etc..   1^x8  150   lin.    feet.      Surfaced 

Frame  for  windows  and 

doors  %x6  350  lin.  feet.  Surfaced 

Weather   strips   %x%  170  lin.    feet.     Surfaced 

Trim    lumber    %x4  500   lin.    feet.      Surfaced 

Frames  for  muslin 
shutter,  perch  shut- 
ters, perch  supports 
and  misc %x3  600  lin.  feet.  Surfaced 

Nest  doors  1x8  60   lin.    feet.     Surfaced 

Partition   door   frame....  1x4  25  lin.    feet.     Surfaced 

Partition   door   frame....  1x3  *      150  lin.    feet.     Surfaced 

Furring   for   bridging....  1x2  500   lin.    feet. 

Galvanized  doors,  wire  staples  and  wood  triggers  for  forty 

nests. 

20  squares  of  prepared  roofing. 
15  squares  of  waterproof  sheathing  paper  for  the  floor. 

8  check    rail   windows,    12-light,    10xl2-inch    glass. 
450   sq.  ft.  of  2-inch  mesh  poultry  netting  for  partitions,  etc. 
260   sq.  ft.  of  1-inch  mesh  netting  for  windows  and  open  front. 
400  sq.  ft.  of  muslin  for  shutters  and  perch  curtains. 
400  sq.  ft.  of  canvas  for  alley  and  end  partitions. 
2  pr.  8-inch  T-trap  hinges,  outside  doors. 
2  6-inch  hasps. 

8   pr.   3-inch  hinges  for  partition  doors. 
2  doz.  pr.  2% -inch  butt  hinges  for  muslin  shutters,  canvas 

doors  a.nd   nest  doors. 
18   2-lnch    screw    hooks    and    eyes. 
8   pr.   4-inch  strap  hinges  for  perch  supports. 
8  pr.   2-inch  butt  hinges  for  windows. 
2  doz.   sash   bolts. 
24  feet  chain  for   sash  adjusters. 
Nails,  tacks,  paint,   etc. 


FIG.    115 — FLOOR    PLAN    OF    ONE    COMPARTMENT    IN    BREEDING    HOUSE 
Reproduced  from  Farmers'  Bulletin  574,  U.  S.  Dept,  of  Agriculture. 


MATERIAL    FOR    FORTY    TRAP-NESTS 

Sides    and    bottoms    ..      %x4  230  bd.  meas.  Surfaced 

Top  rails  of  partition %x2  50  lin.   feet.  Surfaced 

Top   rails   of   ends 7^xl%  50  lin.   feet.  Surfaced 

Bottom    rails    of    ends %x3  50  lin.  feet.  Surfaced 

Srde    rails    of    ends T/8x2  50  lin.   feet.  Surfaced 

Strips    .               %x%  80  lin.  feet.  Surfaced 

Partition    strip 7/8x2?4  50  lin.  feet.  Surfaced 

Galvanized  iron  doors,  wire  staples,  and  triggers. 

MATERIALS    FOR    FOUNDATION    AND    FLOOR 

If  a  concrete  foundation  and  floor  are  preferred,  the  fol- 
lowing materials  will  be  required,  the  joists,  girders  and 
flooring  as  specified  in  the  lumber  bills,  being  omitted. 

140  sacks  of  Portland  cement. 
285  cu.  ft.  of  sand. 
600  cu.  ft.  of  gravel  or  stone. 

400  cu.   ft.   of  gravel  or  broken   stone  for  drainage  and  in- 
sulation. 

BREEDING  HOUSE  FOR  MILD  CLIMATES 

Used   On  Government  Poultry   Farm  Near  Washington, 

D.   C.     Suitable   for   Laying   Flocks   Where   Win- 

ters  Are  Not  Too  Severe. 

By  HARRY  M.  LAMON 

(The  experimental  farm  of  the  Bureau  of  Animal  In- 
dustry, U.  S.  Department  of  Agriculture,  is  located  at 
Beltsville,  a  short  distance  out  of  Washington,  D.  C. 
Here  a  liberal  tract  of  land  has  been  set  aside  for  experi- 
mental work  with  poultry,  under  the  capable  direction  of 
Harry  M.  Lamon,  head  of  the  Poultry  Division.  The 
house  here  illustrated  and  described  has  been  in  success- 
ful use  on  this  farm  for  several  years  and  also  has  served 
as  a  model  for  general  use  in  other  parts  of  the  country. 
While  the  original  house  is  used  for  breeding  pens,  the 
plan  is  well  adapted  to  the  requirements  of  laying  flocks, 
simply  changing  width  of  pens  to  accommodate  flocks  of 
desired  size. — Ed.) 

This  house,  known  as  the  "long  breeding  house,"  is 
180  feet  long,  18  feet  deep,  and  is  divided  into  pens  nine 
feet  wide.  At  one  end  there  is  a  two-story  building,  20 
feet  by  36  feet.  The  first  floor  contains  an  office  room 
and  bins  for  feed.  The  upper  floor  has  sleeping  quarters 
for  the  men  and  rooms  for  storage.  Un- 
derneath is  an  incubator  cellar  of  the 
same  dimensions. 

The  equipment  of  this  poultry  house 
is  extiemely  simple.  The  droppings 
boards  are  on  the  north  side,  two  and 
one-half  feet  from  the  floor,  and  the 
roosts  are  about  fifteen  inches  from  the 
wall  and  eight  inches  from  the  drop- 
pings boards.  The  roosts  are  on  hinges 
and  are  very  convenient  to  handle  when 
the  droppings  boards  are  to  be  cleaned. 
Then  there  is  a  pen  next  to  the  roosts, 
four  feet  ten  inches  deep  and  three  feet 
wide,  for  breaking  up  broody  hens.  The 
nests  are  placed  under  the  droppings 
boards,  are  portable  and  can  easily  be 
removed  for  cleaning  and  when  it  is 
necessary  to  replenish  the  nesting  ma- 
material,  which,  by  the  way,  is  attended 
to  often.  Great  care  is  taken  to  clean 
the  nest  thoroughly,  should  an  egg  be- 
come broken  in  any  of  them,  as  soon  as 
the  broken  egg  is  discovered.  The  nest 
is  a  great  harboring  place  for  mites  if 
it  becomes  dirty  and  filthy. 

There  is  a  platform  two  feet  by  two 
feet  in  size  and  two  feet  from  the  floor, 
for  holding  the  drinking  dish.  .Each 


64 


POULTRY  HOUSES  AND  FIXTURES 


FIG.    116— CROSS   SECTION   OF   BREEDING   HOUSE    FOR    MILD    CLIMATES 
Reproduced  from  Farmers'  Bui.  574,  U.  S.  Dept.  of  Agriculture. 


pen  contains  a  V-shaped  trough  for  feeding  wet  mash 
or  other  feeds,  a  hopper  on  the  south  wall  for  the 
dry  mash  feed,  and  about  four  to  six  inches  of  dry  straw 
is  kept  on  the  floor.  It  is  intended  to  put  a  concrete  floor 
in  this  house,  but  up  to  the  present  time  a  dirt  floor  is 
being  used.  There  are  frames  covered  with  muslin  on  the 
inside  of  the  open  front,  to  be  let  down  in 
stormy  weather,  and  yards  18  feet  by  200  feet. 
Division  fences  are  boarded  30  inches  high  from 
the  ground  with  five-foot  poultry-proof  wire 
fencing  above.  It  will  be  noted  that  this  arrange- 
ment of  yards  allows  each  pen  the  use  of  a  yard 
at  least  every  other  day,  as  the  pens  are  9x18. 
The  following  bill  of  materials  for  this  house 
is  taken  from  Farmers'  Bulletin  No.  574,  also 
the  plans  shown  in  Figs.  114,  115,  116  and  118. 

BILL   OP  MATERIALS 

Use  Size     No.  of  Length        Boaid 

Inches    Pieces    Keet      Measure 

Sills  2x4          30          12          240   ft. 

Plates    (double)    2x4          44         12          352   ft. 

Ties   for   rafters   1x5         30         16         220  ft. 

Rafters   2x6          56          14          784  ft. 

Rafters    2x6          56         10          560   ft. 

Studs   _ 2x4          38          12          304  ft. 

Studs    (front)    2x4          28  8          150  .ft. 

Roosts    2x3          36  8          144  ft. 

Sheathing  surfaced   one   side,   for  roof 2860  ft. 

Matched  flooring  for  walls,   partitions, 

droppings  board  3200   ft. 

Boards  planed  both  sides  for  nests 300  ft. 

340  running  feet  of  Ix3-inch   furring  for  curtain   frames. 
300   sq.  ft.  of  %-inch  mesh  wire  netting  for  front. 
300  sq    ft.  2-inch  mesh  wire  netting  for  partitions. 
350   sq.   ft.   of  muslin  cloth   for  curtains. 
8  outside  doors. 

Prepared  roofing  paper  to  cover  2700  sq.  ft. 
Hardware   (hinges,  nails,  staples,  etc.) 


A  BUILDING  BLOCK  HOUSE 
Block    Houses   Are    Especially    Suitable 
for  Breeding  Pens  in  Cold  Climates. 
Concrete   Blocks  Can  Be  Sub- 
stituted for  Tile. 

Poultry  houses  constructed  of  build- 
ing blocks  are  particularly  desirable, 
though  somewhat  expensive  for  ordi- 
nary use.  The  dead-air  space  between 
inner  and  outer  walls,  which  is  pro- 
duced by  the  hollow  blocks,  makes  the 
house  warm  in  winter  and  cool  in  sum- 
mer, and  if  properly  ventilated  it  always 
will  be  dry.  Block  houses  are  easily 
kept  clean  and  sanitary  and  afford  few 
harboring  places  for  mites  or  lice. 
Nothing  but  the  high  cost  of  building, 
this  way  prevents  the  use  of  tile  blocks 
in  poultry  houses  of  all  kinds.  When 
carelessly  constructed  such  houses  are  not  particularly 
pleasing  in  appearance,  but  with  careful  workmanship 
they  can  be  made  quite  attractive,  as  is  the  case  in  the 
house  illustrated  in  Fig.  117,  which  is  one  of  the  poultry 
buildings  at  Iowa  State  College. 

This  house  is  built  of  tile  blocks,  but  concrete  blocks 


PIG.  117 — BUILDING  BLOCK  HOUSE  AT  IOWA  STATE  COLLEGE 


FIG.     118 — FRONT    ELEVATION    OF    BREEDING    HOUSE 

Reproduced    from    Farmers'    Bulletin    574,    U.    S.    Department 

of  Agriculture. 

can   be   used   where   the    former  are   not  available.      It   is 
14x100  feet  with  a  plain  shed  roof  and  is  divided  into  five 
pens  14x20  feet  each,  providing  comfortably  for  a  breed- 
ing flock   from  about  40  to  50  hens.     If  single  pens  are 
preferred  instead   of  flock  matings,   temporary  partitions 
can    be     used,    thus     affording    accommodations     for    ten 
breeding   flocks   of    15     to    20   fowls. 
The  house  is  built    with    a    concrete 
floor,   and    the    general    interior    ar- 
rangement  is    similar   to    that   shown 
in  other  houses  in  this  chapter. 

Ventilation  is  provided  by  special- 
ly constructed  windows  consisting^  of 
narrow  sashes  arranged  in  sets  of 
four — three  sets  for  each  20-foot  pen. 
These  sashes  are  balanced  on  dowel 
pins  turning  in  holes  in  the  sides  of 
the  window  casing,  and  are  connected 
by  means  of  a  chain  so  that  by  rais- 
ing and  lowering  the  chain,  each  set 
of  sashes  can  be  adjusted  to  uniform 
position  at  a  single  operation,  thus 
providing  any  degree  of  ventilation. 


CHAPTER    VI 


Portable  Colony  and  Brooder  Houses 

The  Convenience  and  Economy  of  Suitable  Portable  Houses  for  Use  Either  With  Adult  Flocks,  Growing  Stock,  or 

Brooder  Chicks -How  to    Secure  Substantial,  Low-Cost  Construction  — Plans  for  Houses  Adapted  for  Use 

Either  in  Brooding  Chicks  or  for  Laying  and  Breeding  Pens— How  to  Build  Houses  in  Sections 

for  Easy  Moving— Practical  Piano-Box  Houses,  Etc. 


HERE  are  few  poultry  plants  or  farms  that  do  not 
need  at  least  some  portable  houses.  The  uses  to 
which  they  can  be  put  are  so  numerous  that  they 
seldom  stand  idle  for  any  length  of  time.  While 
it  usually  is  not  practical  to  keep  laying  flocks  in  such 
houses,  owing  to  the  small  size  of  the  flocks  that  can  be 
accommodated,  they  often  can  be  profitably  used  for  that 
purpose.  They  also  make  ideal  quarters  for  small  breed- 
ing flocks  and  are  indispensable  for  brooding  chicks,  re- 
gardless of  the  method  of  brooding  practiced.  After  the 
chicks  no  longer  need  artificial  heat,  the  house  may  be 
hauled  to  outlying  fields  and  the  growing  stock  given  the 
complete  liberty  that  is  so  essential  to  normal  growth 
and  development. 

The  principal  features  to  keep  in  mind  in  building  any 
sort  of  portable  house  are  that  there  must  be  sufficient 
head  room  to  make  the  work  of  caring  for  the  houses 
convenient;  the  houses  must  not  be  too  large  to  be  moved 
by  available  means;  and,  as  a  rule,  they  should  be  provided 
with  double  floors,  or  carefully  braced,  so  that  they  will 
not  be  racked  in  hauling  them  about.  Moving,  especially 
over  uneven  ground,  puts  a  severe  strain  on  such  struc- 
tures and  they  will  quickly  be  pulled  apart  unless  well 
built. 

The  material  used  for  sills  or  runner-sills  should  be 
of  the  most  durable  timber  available;  chestnut  and  cedar 
are  good.  White  oak,  if  well  seasoned,  may  be  used,  but 
adds  to  the  weight.  Throughout  the  house,  light-weight 
lumber  should  be  used  as  far  as  possible.  A  house  built 
of  oak  or  similar  hard  wood  will  weigh  a  great  deal  more 
than  one  built  of  white  pine.  It  is  not  advisable  to  try  to 
cut  down  weight  by  using  thin  boards  or  small  framing 
timbers.  Such  material  will  not  hold  up  long  in  a  house 
that 'is  to  be  moved  frequently.  Regular  ^-inch  boards 
and  2x4  joists  and  studs  are  essential  to 'durability.  Where 
these  houses  are  to  be  used  for  laying  flocks  it  is  conven- 
ient to  have  the  nests  on  the  outside  of  the  building,  thus 
increasing  the  floor  space.  Such  nests  must  be  carefully 
built,  however,  and  should  be  located  on  the  side  least 
exposed  to  storms,  as  it  is  difficult  to  prevent  rain  and 
snow  from  blowing  in.  Small,  shallow  houses  necessarily 
bring  the  fowls  up  close  to  the  front  when  on  perches,  and 
special  provision  must  be  made  to  protect  them  from 
draft?  if  open  fronts  are  to  be  used.  With  houses  of  the 
shed-roof  type,  such  as  the  colony  house  shown  in  Fig.  124, 
it  is  practicable  to  make  the  window  half  glass  and  half 
muslin  shutter,  placing  the  latter  above  and  opening  it 
when  necessary  to  secure  proper  ventilation,  but  leaving 
the  glass  sash  in  place  except  in  warm  weather. 

For  moving  portable  houses  a  couple  of  hooks,  simi 
lar  to  the  one  illustrated  in  Fig.  123,  attached  to  a  stout 
chain  10  or  12  feet  long,  are  most  convenient.  Make  the 
hook  of  54  or  ^-inch  iron,  with  the  hook  part  abouf  fout 
inches  long,  and  pointing  forward  a  little,  rather  than  with 
a  square  or  right-angled  turn.  If  this  is  done  it  will  not  be 
so  liable  to  slip  out  of  the  hole  in  the  runner  under  a 
heavy  strain.  In  England,  where  portable  houses  are  ex- 
tensively used,  small  wheels  are  often  employed  in  place 
of  runners. 


A  GABLE  ROOF  PORTABLE  HOUSE 

Will  Accommodate  Twenty-Five  to  Thirty  Hens,  or  May 

Be  Used  for  Lamp-Heated  and  Colony  Hovers. 

The  house  illustrated  in  Figs.  119,  120,  121,  and  122 
was  designed  at  the  Pennsylvania  Agricultural  College  and 
has  been  in  use  there  for  some  years.  It  offers  a  practical 
solution  of  the  problem  of  building  a  house  that  will  meet 
the  requirements  of  both  brooding  and  laying  house.  It 
is  about  as  large  as  can  be  moved  by  one  team,  requires  a 
minimum  of  lumber  for  the  floor  space  enclosed  and  gives 
plenty  of  head  room  without  high  walls.  If  the  house  is 
to  be  used  for  a  colony  hover  the  front  window  at  the  end 
opposite  the  door  can  be  omitted,  but  where  lamp-heated 


FIG.  119 — A  GABLE  ROOF  PORTABLE  HOUSE 

hovers  are  to  be  used,  as  illustrated  in  Fig.  121,  the  orig- 
inal arrangement  is  better,  as  it  gives  more  even  distribu- 
tion of  light. 

This  house  is  regularly  built  with  flooring  boards  01 
car  siding  for  the  sides  and  with  a  double  floor,  as  shown 
in  Fig.  14.  Rafters  are  provided  in  the  bill  of  material, 
but  the  original  houses  were  built  without  rafters,  the  rool 
boards  being  run  up  and  down  and  nailed  securely  to- 
gether at  the  ridges,  which  construction  is  firm  enough  for 
all  practical  purposes. 

Fig.  122  shows  floor  plan  as  arranged  for  winter  use 
of  the  laying  or  breeding  flock.  The  floor  is  laid  on  3x6- 
inch  chestnut  runners,  with  four  2x4-inch  joists  mortised 
into  the  top  of  the  sills  and  firmly  spiked.  Fig.  121  shows 
a  cross  section  with  lamp-heated  hover  installed.  Three 
such  hovers  can  be  accommodated  in  one  of  these  houses, 
temporary  partitions  being  placed  between  them,  to  be 
removed  when  the  chicks  are  ready  to  go  on  perches.  This 
house  provides  excellent  quarters  for  a  colony  hover  flock, 
the  hover  being  placed  back  within  about  two  feet  of  the 
end  wall.  Fig-  120  is  a  cross  section  with  perches  and  plat- 
form installed.  Fig.  119  shows  the  completed  house  on  the 
range.  For  summer  ventilation  a  small  louvered  opening 


66 


POULTRY  HOUSES  AND  FIXTURES 


FIG.  120 — CROSS  SECTION  OP  GABLE  ROOF  HOUSE 
WITH  PERCHES  AND  NESTS 

(not  shown  in  plan)  should  be  provided  in  each  gable.  If 
built  of  white  pine  or  similar  light-weight  lumber,  a  two- 
horse  team  will  readily  haul  this  house  anywhere  on  rea- 
sonably level  ground.  The  sills  are  rounded  off  at  each 
end,  runner-fashion,  and  suitably  bored  for  attaching 
hooks  or  chain  to  hitch  to. 

BILL    OF   MATERIALS    FOR  PORTABLE   HOUSE 


Use 


Size 
Inches 

Sills   3x6 

Joists   2x4 

Plates  2x4 

Studs   2x4 

Rafters   2x4 

Perches    2x4 

Support  for  drop.   plat..  2x4 
Sheathing:  boards  for 
subfloor.   roof,    nests 

and   partitions   %xlO 

Matched  flooring  for 
floors  and  drop- 
pings platform  %x4 

Furring    %  x3 

Window    sills 


length 
Feet 


12 
10 
10 
12 
12 


No.  of 
Piece* 

2 

6 

2 
10 

5 

I 

1 


Remarks 


1   piece  cut*  I 
1  piece  cuts  1 


300  ft.  bd.  meas.   Surfaced. 


415  ft.  bd.  meas. 
125  lin.  ft.      Surfaced. 
8  lin.  ft.      Surfaced. 


MATERIAL  FOR  NESTS 

Door  %x7  5  1 

Front   base   %x6  5  1 

Bottom    %x!2  5  1 

Rear   base   %x4  5  1 

Top   strips   %x2  10  1 

Uprig-ht  2x4  6  1 

Brackets    %x4  8  1 


Surfaced 
Surfaced 
Surfaced 
Surfaced 
Surfaced 
Surfaced 
Surfaced 


1%    rolls  of  prepared  roofing. 
100   sq.   ft.    sheathing  paper. 

2  6-light  window   sashes,    10xl2-inch   glass. 
L0%   sq.   ft.   muslin. 

23  sq.  ft.  1-inch  mesh  poultry  netting  for  windows,  etc. 
1  pair  8-inch  strap  hinges  for  outside  door. 
1  6-inch  hasp. 

3  pairs  2-inch  hinges  for  windows  and  shutters. 
1  pair  4-inch  strap  hinges  for  perch  supports. 

1  pair  3-inch  strap  hinges  for  nests. 

4  hooks  and  eyes. 

2  chain  sash  adjusters. 
Nails,   tacks,   paint,   etc. 


-H^---- 


LT 


I    Nests/ 
I 


I    I 


E& 


FIG.    121— CROSS    SECTION    OF    GABLE    ROOF   HOUSE 
WITH    BROODING   HOVER 


FIG.   122 — FLOOR  PLAN  OF  GABLE  ROOF  HOUSE 

SLED  RUNNER  COLONY  HOUSE 

Being  Eleven  Feet  Deep  and  Only  Seven  Feet  Wide,  the 

Rear  is  Comfortable  and  Always  Free 

From  Drafts. 

By  J.  W.  PARKS 

We  have  been  for  a  number  of  years  working  on  a 
colony  house  that  would  not  only  answer  the  purpose  of 
raising  the  chicks,  but  one  that  we  could  fix  up  at  very 
small  cost  for  winter  use.  Furthermore,  we  wanted  a 
house  that  we  could  change  from  a  summer  to  a  winter 
house  with  a  very  small  expenditure  of  time,  because 
when  one  has  a  great  many  houses  to  care  for,  things 
must  be  pretty  convenient,  as  time  is  one  of  the  most  im- 
portant considerations.  These  features  our  colony  houses 
have. 

These  houses  are  7  feet  wide  and  11  feet  deep,  7  feet 
high  in  front  and  $l/2  at  back.  We  like  these  narrow, 
deep  houses  much  better  than  houses  more  nearly  square,' 
as  they  hold  the  heat  better  in  winter,  and  fowls,  when 
on  the  perches,  are  further  away  from 
the  open  front. 

In  constructing  this  house  three  sled- 
runners  are  provided  for  the  back,  mid- 
dle and  front.  As  our  houses  are  to  be 
used  on  land  sloping  to  the  east,  we 
make  the  front  runner  8  inches  high, 
the  middle  one  6  inches,  and  the  back 
one  4  inches,  which  helps  to  take  care 
of  the  slope  without  having  to  block  up 
the  house,  and  avoids  having  the  litter 
all  work  toward  the  front.  Next  we  cut 
2x4's,  as  long  as  we  intend  the  house  to 
be  deep,  placing  one  at  each  side  and 
one  in  the  middle,  notching  the  runner,  so  that  the  2x4's 
rest  level  with  the  top  of  the  runners.  In  this  way  we 
get  a  level  surface  on  which  to  lay  the  first  floor,  which 
must  be  of  tongue-and-groove  lumber.  Over  this  sub- 


V 


FIG.    123. 

HOOK  FOR 

MOVING 

HOUSES 


PORTABLE  COLONY  AND  BROODER  HOUSES 


67 


floor  lay  some  old  papers  and  then  a  second  floor  of 
boards.  We  find  these  double  floors  very  helpful  in 
keeping  the  house  warm  in  cold  weather. 

Next,  the  frame  is  set  up  and  the  corner  boards 
nailed  on,  and  then  we.  finish  boarding  up,  using  matched 
lumber  so  as  to  have  tight  joints.  There  must  be  no 
drafts  in  these  coops.  These  houses  can  be  built  at  com- 


FIG.   124— SLED  RUNNER   COLONY  HOUSE 
Photo   from  J.   W.   Parks. 

paratively  moderate  cost  and  may  be  used  either  for 
adult  fowls,  for  indoor  brooders  or  hovers,  or  can  be  ar- 
ranged for  cold  brooders  when  the  chicks  are  no  longer 
in  need  of  artificial  heat.  We  have  two  muslin  sashes  to 
fit  into  the  windows  or  openings,  which  we  use  in  winter. 
The  bottom  sash  is  put  in  permanently  and  the  top  one 
slides  up  and  down.  For  ordinary  winter  weather  we 
leave  the  top  sash  down,  but  when  it  is  extremely  cold  we 
generally  have  the  top  sash  half-way  up,  leaving  a  por- 
tion still  open.  However,  the  matter  of  ventilation  de- 
pends upon  the  number  of  fowls  in  the  house. 

We  have  a  sort  of  a  bale  hook  that  we  hook  under 
the  house  back  of  the  2x4  on  the  side,  and  then  attach 
the  other  end  to  a  singletree,  and  the  team  readily  moves 
it  to  any  desirable  location.  In  the  summertime  we  move 
these  houses  not  less  than  twice  a  month,  even  if  it  is 
only  the  length  of  the  house,  as  that  gives  the  chicks 
new  pasture  and  prevents  killing  the  grass  under  the 
house. 

It  may  be  of  interest  to  describe  the  cold  hovers  that 
we  use  in  these  houses.  Each  house  is  equipped  with  two 
roost  poles,  2x3  inches,  with  rounded  edges,  for  adult 
fowls.  When  the  house  is  to  be  used  for  chicks  we  rest 
these  poles  on  temporary  strips  on  each  side  of  the  wall, 
placing  them  so  that  the  poles  will  be  about  6  inches 
from  the  floor.  The  back  pole  is  8  inches  from  the  rear 
wall  and  the  other  about  1  foot  in  front  of  it.  Over  these 
we  tack  empty  burlap  sacks,  laying  them  across  the  poles 
and  letting  them  hang  down,  front  and  back,  with  the 
ends  about  2  inches  above  the  floor.  We  place  about  an 
inch  of  chaff  on  the  floor  and  in  cold  weather  often  throw 
a  lot  of  chaff  on  top  of  the  sacks  to  keep  in  the  warmth. 
If  the  chicks  get  to  crowding  under  this  hover  they  soon 
are  exposed  to  the  cold  either  in  front  or  back,  and  so 


they  quickly  learn  to  spread  out  lengthwise.  The  first  few 
nights  we  place  them  under  this  hover  until  they  learn 
to  perch  on  these,  then  we  gradually  raise  them  up  higher. 

SECTIONAL  COLONY  HOUSE 

Built  in  Five  Conveniently  Handled  Sections.   Can  Easily 
Be  Set  Up  or  Taken  Apart  for  Moving. 

A  poultry  house  built  in  sections,  so  that  it  may  be 
taken  down  for  moving  and  readily  reassembled  in  a  new 
location,  often  is  desirable,  especially  for  the  use  of  per- 
sons who  do  not  own  their  own  homes  and  who  are  com- 
pelled to  move  more  or  less  frequently.  To  meet  this  re- 
quirement the  Storrs  (Conn.)  Agricultural  College  has 
designed  the  house  illustrated  in  Figs.  125,  126,  127,  and 
128.  The  following  description  is  given  in  a  circular 
issued  by  the  Department  of  Extension  Service^  of  this 
institution: 

"Building  in  sections  and  putting  together  is  a  type 
of  construction  which  requires  a  minimum  amount  of 
material  and  no  extra  labor.  The  demonstration  house 
here  described  was  built  by  an  amateur  carpenter  in  fif- 
teen hours'  time.  The  following  bill  of  material  was 
used: 

Best  roofers — 200  ft.,  14  ft.  x  1x6  in ....$7.60 

Sills  and  studs — 4  pieces.  12  ft.  x  2x3  in 1.08 

•  Furrowing1 — 9  pieces,  12  ft.  x  1x2  in.  ...  .81 

Window — 1,   3-light  9x13   in 50 

Wire — 8   feet  1-inch  mesh.   2  feet  wide  40 

Unbleached  sheeting- — 1  yard.  42  inches  wide  25 

Hing-es — 2  pairs,  4  inch  T  hinges  28 

Hooks  and   eyes — 15 .25 

Nails — 5   Ibs..   6p  _ .     .40 

Nails — 3   Ibs.,    8p 24 

Screws — 1  dozen,  1%   inch  05 

Roofing  paper — %    roll 1.00 


Total  cost  : $12.8« 

"The  accompanying  plans  are  somewhat  different 
from  the  ordinary  house  plan  in  that  each  section  is 
shown  as  it  appears  when  completed,  lying  outside  down, 
before  putting  together.  The  best  boards  should  be 


Jf 


T-~f 


FIG.  125 — FRONT  OF  SECTIONAL  POULTRY  HOUSE 

From   blue  print  furnished  by  Storrs    (Conn.) 

Agricultural  College. 

chosen  for  the  side  walls,  which  may  be  made  tight  by 
painting.  Do  not  neglect  painting,  as  such  lumber  will 
not  stand  the  weather.  Boards  which  are  not  perfectly 
tight  may  be  used  for  the  roof,  as  it  is  covered  with  roof- 
ing paper.  The  cloth  curtain  in  front,  which  is  32x39  in- 
ches, outside  measurement,  slides  up  and  down  outside 


68 


POULTRY  HOUSES  AND  FIXTURES 


FIG.  126 — BAST  END  OF  SECTIONAL,  POULTRY  HOUSE 

From   blue   print   furnished   by   Storrs    (Conn.) 

Agricultural  College. 

and  may  be  fastened  in  any  position  with  the  hook,  which, 
is  turned  into  the  top.  The  window  on  the  end  swings 
out  and  may  be  held  open  at  any  angle  by  the  button  on 
the  casing.  The  droppings  board,  which  is  6  feet  long 
and  21  inches  wide,  rests  on  cleats  which  are  provided  on 
each  end  section.  The  feeding  board  for  mash  hopper 
and  water  dish  is  21  inches  long  and  16  inches  wide,  and 
is  located  under  the  window.  It  is  supported  by  the 
droppings  board  on  one  end,  and  a  brace  running  down 
to  the  sill  on  the  other.  The  nests- are  simply  a  long 
box  without  partitions,  12  inches  high,  12  inches  wide,  and 
4  feet  long,  supported  by  a  cleat  on  the  brace  under  the 
feeding  platform  on  one  end  and  a  cleat  on  the  back  wall 
on  the  other  end.  Hooks  and  eyes  or  screws  are  used 
to  fasten  the  corners  of  the  house  together  and  hold  the 
roof  in  place.  Nails  may  be  used  if  the  house  is  not  to 
be  taken  apart  and  moved.  No  floor  is  provided  as  this  is 
not  considered  necessary  under  average  conditions. 

AN  ATTRACTIVE  PIANO  BOX  HOUSE 

Made  From  Two  Piano  Boxes.    Is  Practical,  Comfortable 

and  Inexpensive. 

By   HARRY   B.    PHIPPS 

Inexpensive  poultry  houses  may  readily  be  made  from 
piano  boxes.  The  substantial  one  shown  in  Fig.  132  is 
a  good  example  of  a  house  of  this  type,  and  it  can  be 


•  J 


-6-0' 


FIG.  127— BACK  OF  SECTIONAL  POULTRY  HOUSE 

From  blue  print  furnished  by  Storrs    (Conn.) 

Agricultural  College. 


TV? 


FIG.  128— WEST  END  OF  SECTIONAL,  POULTRY  HOUSE 

From    blue    print  furnished    by    Storrs    (Conn.) 

Agricultural   College. 

built  with  comparatively  little  work.  It  is  made  by  re- 
moving the  backs  and  tops  of  two  piano  boxes  and  plac- 
ing them  together,  back  to  back,  on  a  substantial  foun- 
dation. 

Two  pieces,  6  inches  wide  and  20  inches  long,  are 
fastened  to  the  top  of  both  boxes,  to  give  pitch  to  the 
roof.  The  two  boxes  are  to  be  fastened  together  with 
upright  strips,  4  inches  wide  and  4  feet  6  inches  long.  If 
it  is  desired  to  make  the  house  portable,  use  screws  in- 
stead of  nails  for  the  purpose.  A  door  4  feet  6  inches 
high  and  16  inches  wide  is  cut  out  of  the  end  of  one  of 
the  boxes  and  a  yard  door  for  the  fowls  near  one  corner. 

Naila  2  or  3-inch  strip  around  the  edge  of  the  roof 
to  give  a  projection  and  then  nail  on  the  roof  boards  and 
cover  them  with  prepared  roofing.  The  window  in  the 


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hr.; 

•4. 
K 
* 

^ 

•) 

^  ^ 

^ 

! 

-5' 

2"*: 

r 

N* 

' 

r 

-4/t 

FIG.    129 — ROOF   OF   SECTIONAL  POULTRY   HOUSE 

From   blue   print  furnished   by   Storrs    (Conn.) 

Agricultural   College. 


PORTABLE  COLONY  AND  BROODER  HOUSES 


69 


FIG.    130 — A   LOW-COST   PIANO   BOX  COOP 

front  of  the  building  contains  four  8xlO-inch  panes  of 
glass  and  there  is  a  ventilating  opening  in  the  gable  pro- 
vided with  an  8xlO-inch  pane,  which  slides  in  suitable 
grooves,  providing  additional  ventilation  when  required. 
The  bars  across  the  window  are  made  from  old  buggy 
tires  and  are  a  desirable  addition  where  there  is  danger 
of  the  fowls  being  molested  by  thieves. 

In  this  house  the  perch  is  located  along  the  wall,  op- 
posite the  window,  and  a  suitable  droppings  board  about 
2  feet  wide  should  be  provided.  The  nests  may  be  cheaply 
made  and  may  be  suspended  from  the  front  edge  to  the 
droppings  board,  which  should  be  high  enough  to  allow 
the  fowls  the  free  use  of  the  entire  floor.  There  will  be 
sufficient  lumber  from  the  backs  of  the  boxes  to  make 
the  droppings  board,  window  cases  and  a  little  screen 
over  the  exit  door,  etc. 

The  only  materials  required  in  building  this  house, 
aside  from  the  two  piano  boxes,  are  the  window  glass, 
roofing,  one  pair  of  hinges,  one  hasp  and  a  little  paint. 

LOW  COST  PIANO   BOX   COOP 

The  house  shown  in  Fig.  130  has  a  floor  space  of  ap- 
)roximately  30  square  feet  and  was  made  from  a  single 
>iano  box.  The  back  of -the  box  forms  the  floor.  The 
front  was  removed  and  the  sides  filled  in  on  the  line  of 
the  slope  of  the  top  part  of  the  front,  thus  giving  a  plain 
shed  roof.  The  roof  boards  were  nailed  to  battens  and 
hinged  at  the  front  so  that  the  entire  roof  could  be 


raised  for  cleaning,  etc.  In  the  ordinary  care  of  fowls, 
access  to  the  interior  is  secured  through  the  2j^x3-ft. 
opening,  which  is  protected  with  double  screens,  one  cov- 
ered with  netting  and  the  other  with  muslin. 

COMBINED  PORTABLE  HOUSE  AND  RUN 

An  Easily-Moved  Coop  For  a  Small  Flock  of  Confined 

Fowls  or  Chicks. 

The  combined  coop  and  run  illustrated  in  Fig.  131 
is  one  of  several  in  successful  use  on  an  eastern  back- 
yard poultry  plant.  This  house  is  only  about  4  feet 
square,  but  is  expected  to  accommodate  12  fowls.  While 
this  crowds  them  to  an  unusual  extent  the  owner  reports 
good  winter  egg  yields  notwithstanding  this.  As  will 
be  seen,  canvas  is  tacked  to  the  north  side  of  the  run  to 
cut  off  the  cold  winds  which  come  from  this  quarter,  and 
the  house  is  provided  with  a  hinged,  muslin-covered 
frame  on  the  south  side,  which  affords  some  light  and 


FTG.    131 — COMrSTXATTOX     COOP   AXD    YARD 


FIG.  132 — AN  ATTRACTIVE  PIANO  BOX  POULTRY  HOUSE 

ventilation  when  closed,  and  which  can  be  left  open  when 
the  weather  is  mild.     In  the  early  summer  these  houses 
and    runs   are     use   for    brood    coops,    the     chicks     being 
transferred  to  them  as   soon   as  they 
no  longer  need  artificial  heat. 

The  advantage  of  a  house  of  this 
sort  is  that  it  may  readily  be  trans- 
ferred, run  and  all,  to  new  ground. 
When  the  pens  are  located  on  a  good 
grass  sod  they  can  be  shifted  every 
few  days  to  a  new  location,  thus  pro- 
viding an  abundance  of  green  food 
without  allowing  the  fowls  to  remain 
long  enough  in  any  one  place  to  kill 
out  the  grass.  For  a  small  flock  it  is 
possible  to  build  a  house  and  outdo  >r 
run  in  this  way  at  lower  cost,  prob- 
ably, than  in  any  other  way.  The 
floor  of  the  house  is  about  2  ft.  above 
the  ground,  or  on  a  level  with  the  top 
of  the  run.  This  provides  a  sheltered 
space  underneath,  from  which  the 
fowls  reach  the  upper  floor,  where 
perches  and  nests  are  located,  by 
means  of  an  incline. 


CHAPTER     VII 

Permanent  Brooder  Houses 

Every  Farm  or  Poultry  Plant  Where  Early  Hatched  Chicks    Are   Raised  Should  Have    a  Permanent,  Conveniently 
Arranged  Brooder  House— Merits  of  Different  Brooder  Systems  Briefly  Compared— Plans  for  Practical  Lamp- 
Heated  Hovers  With  or  Without  Auxiliary  Heat— Hot  Water  Brooding  Systems- 
One  and  Two-Compartment  Houses  for  Colony  Hovers. 


O~~|IL  and  coal-burning  colony  hovers,  each  one  capa- 
ble of  brooding  a  single  flock  of  several  hundred 
^TTCjji  chicks,  have  largely  supplanted  lamp-heated  hov- 
claem  ers  and  hot-water  pipe  brooding  systems  in  popu- 
lar favor.  They  possess  the  important  advantage  of  low 
cost  for  installation  and  operation  and  adaptability  to 
use  almost  anywhere  indoors,  and  they  effect  a  great 
saving  in  labor  on  account  of  the  very  large  flocks,  they 
are  able  to  brood  successfully.  Nevertheless,  it  is  well 
to  bear  in  mind  the  fact  that  there  still  are  conditions 
under  which  other  methods  of  brooding  will  be  found 
desirable. 

Where  the  chicks  are  to  be  raised  in  large  numbers 
and  in  moderate  weather,  colony  hovers  unquestionably 
offer  the  most  economical  means  now  known  for  doing 
this.  Under  ordinary  circumstances,  however,  it  is  not 
claimed  that  the  chicks  raised  in  flocks  of  300  to  600  each 
will  be  as  well  developed  as  when  brooded  in  smaller 
flocks  under  a  good-sized  lamp-heated  hover  accommo- 
dating 75  to  100  each.  Also,  in  extreme  winter  weather 
poultry  keepers  generally  believe  that  they  cannot  raise 
chicks  under  colony  hovers  as  satisfactorily  as  in  regular 
pipe-heated  brooder  houses. 

Plans  for  various  types  of  brooder  houses  are  pro- 
vided in  this  book,  and  the  poultry  grower  is  earnestly  ad- 
vised to  consider  carefully  just  what  his  real  needs  are  in 
the  way  of  brooding  facilities  before  deciding  on  the 
equipment  to  be  purchased.  If  broilers  or  ordinary  com- 
mercial or  farm  flocks  are  to  be  raised,  no  doubt  the 
colony  hover  will  meet  most  requirements,  though  there 
are  few  poultry  plants  that  will  not  find  it  good  economy 


to  have  a  few  lamp-heated  hovers  on  hand  to  meet  the 
various  emergencies  that  are  liable  to  arise  wherever 
chicks  are  brooded. 

Where  chicks  are  to  be  raised  on  a  small  scale,  or 
where  small  incubatois  are  in  use  and  the  broods  conse- 
quently are  small  and  of  different  ages,  nothing  will  take 
the  place  of  good  lamp-heated  hovers.  The  plan  of  pro- 
viding partitions,  with  the  idea  of  brooding  two  or  more 
flocks  under  one  colony  hover,  is  only  partially  satisfac- 
tory, especially  when  the  flocks  are  of  different  ages.  In 
this  case  either  the  hover  will  be  too  warm  for  the  older 
chicks  or  it  will  be  too  cold  for  the  younger;  either  way 
heavy  losses  are  liable  to  result. 

Where  chicks  are  to  be  raised  for  breeding  stock,  it  is 
highly  important  that  they  be  given  the  best  possible  con- 
ditions for  growth  and  development,  and  it  seldom  is  ad- 
visable to  brood  such  stock  in  colony  hovers.  It  is  much 
better  to  go  to  the  additional  expense  of  brooding  them 
in  small  flocks  under  lamp-heated  hovers  and  thus  make 
sure  of  giving  the  individual  chicks  the  best  possible 
chance. 

For  winter  brooding,  pipe-heated  brooder  houses  are 
still  regarded  as  indispensable  by  many  poultrymen.  Pipe- 
heated  systems,  properly  installed,  provide  plenty  of  heat 
without  great  extremes  in  different  parts  of  the  brooding 
chamber,  floor  drafts  are  reduced  to  a  minimum,  and  valu- 
able chicks  may  thus  be  given  highly  favorable  conditions 
for  growth  and  development  at  this  most  difficult  season 
for  successful  brooding. 

The  reader  must  determine  for  himself  just  what 
method  or  combination  of  methods  will  meet  his  condi- 


may    6e 

In  S  fa  lie  d .  )r> 

Hept- 
i   not-   in  use. 

J 


FIG.    133 — FLOOR    PLAN    OF   PERMANENT    BROODER    HOUSE 


71 


*  Light       IO'xl2'&lass  Hinged      at     Bottom    to    Suing      '"  •> 


FIG.    134 — FRONT   ELEVATION   OF   PERMANENT   BROODER   HOUSE 

tions,  bearing  in  mind,  however,  that  he  can  better  afford 
to  employ  inadequate  facilities  and  makeshift  equipment 
at  any  other  point  than  in  the  brooding  of  his  chicks. 

BROODER  HOUSE  FOR  LAMP-HEATED  HOVERS 

May  Be  Built  With  or  Without  Auxiliary  Heat. 

Brooding  With   Lamp-Heated  Hovers  is 

Practical  With  the  Right  Kind 

of  House. 

The  floor  dimensions  of  the  brooder  house  shown  in 
Figs.    133    to    141    inclusive,    are    16x30    feet.      It    can,    of 
course,  be  built  any  length,  but  under  ordinary  conditions 


FIO.    135 — END    ELEVATION   OF   PERMANENT 
BROODER   HOUSE 

width   of   16   feet   is   most   satisfactory   and    should   be 

aintained,  regardless  of  length. 

There  are  few  poultry  plants  where  such  a  house  as 
this  will  not  be  found  a  profitable 
part  of  the  equipment,  making  it  pos- 
sible to  brood  chicks  successfully  at 
almost  any  season  and  under  the 
most  favorable  conditions.  Even 
where  colony  hovers  are  depended 
on  for  brooding  the  bulk  of  the 
young  chicks,  a  small,  well-equipped 
brooder  house  of  this  sort,  for  use 
in  brooding  small  flocks  and  special- 
quality  stock,  will  soon  pay  for  itself. 

The  foundation  should  be  six-inch 
concrete  walls  and  these  should  ex- 
tend six  inches  above  the  ground 
level.  The  foundation  should  be  car- 
ried down  to  the  frost  line  or  to 
solid  ground — 18  to  24  inches  as  a 
rule. 

Earth  floors  are  not  practical  for 
brooding  houses  where  rats  are  com- 
mon, as  these  pests  like  nothing  bet- 
ter than  young  chicks,  and  can  be 


depended  upon  to  get  them  eventual- 
ly, even  though  the  entire  floor  is 
carefully  screened  with  netting. 
Board  floors  are  open  to  the  objec- 
tion that  they  are  colder  and  also 
harbor  rats  unless  raised  well  off  the 
ground,  which  necessitates  long  in- 
clines for  the  chicks. 

Generally  speaking,  therefore,  con- 
crete floors  are  most  suitable,  though 
they  must  be  thoroughly  insulated 
and  kept  covered  with  coarse  sand 
or  deep  litter  to  avoid  injury  to  the 
chicks  confined  in  them.  For  brooder 
house  floors  of  concrete,  cinders  are 

recommended,  as  this  material  makes  a  warmer  floor  than 
either  stone  or  gravel.  By  cinders  is  meant  the  coarse 
ashes  fiom  large  furnaces  and  boilers.  Ordinary  fine  ashes 
from  stoves  and  furnaces  will  not  do,  and  if  there  is 
much  of  this  material  in  the  cinders  it  should  be  sifted 
or  washed  out. 

If  a  board  floor  is  preferred,  it  should  be  laid  double, 
with  sheathing  paper  between,  also  one-inch  poultry  net- 
ting which  will  make  it  impossible  for  rats  to  gnaw 
through.  Bear  in  mind,  however,  that  if  rats  succeed  in 
establishing  themselves  underneath  the  house,  it  will  be 
only  a  matter  of  time  until  they  will  succeed  in  getting 
at  the  chicks,  no  matter  how  carefully  they  are  protected. 
Houses  that  are  to  be  used  in  cold  weather  should  al- 
ways be  ceiled.  The  additional  cost  of  doing  this  will  be 
amply  repaid  by  the  smaller  amount  of  fuel  required.  Lath 
and  plaster  may  be  used  if  preferred,  but,  under  ordinary 
conditions,  ceiling  is  much  better  suited  to  poultry-house 
construction.  Building  paper  should  always  be  tacked  to 
the  studs  before  siding  or  ceiling  is  put  in  place.  A  layer 
of  sheathing  paper  should  also  be  nailed  to  the  lower  side 
of  the  ceiling  joists  or  rafter  ties  before  the  ceiling  is 
nailed  on.  Ventilation  openings  should  be  provided  in 
the  ceiling,  as  shown  in  Fig.  141,  page  73.  In  small 
houses  it  is  sufficient  to  have  louvered  ventilators  in  each 
gable,  but  in  houses  50  feet  or  more  in  length  it  is  neces- 
sary to  provide  roof  ventilators  also. 

The  ground  should  be  graded  up  to  the  front  sill  so 
that  the  chicks  will  have  easy  access  to  the  yards.  The 
siding  should  be  carried  up  close  to  the  roof  boards, 
notching  the  top  board  carefully  for  Jhe  rafters.  For  cold 
climates,  storm  doors  for  all  outside  doors  are  advisable. 


FIG.   136— CROSS  SECTION  OF  PERMANENT  BROODER  HOUSE 


72 


POULTRY  HOUSES  AND  FIXTURES 


FIG.    137— CONSTRUCTION   OF 
CHICK   DOOR 


Pipe-heated  hovers  are  not  recommended  in  small 
brooder  houses,  as  better  results  usually  are  secured  at  less 
expense  where  the  pens  are  equipped  with  individual  lamp- 
heated  hovers.  In  houses  50  feet  long  and  upwards,  pipe- 
heated  hovers  may  be  found  more  economical,  though 
many  chick  growers  prefer  individual  hovers  in  brooder 
houses  of  any  length.  Where  chicks  are  to  be  brooded  in 

mid  -  winter,  houses 
equipped  with  indi- 
vidual hovers  should 
have  some  source  01 
auxiliary  heat.  This 
is  best  supplied  by 
means  of  a  water 
heater  and  a  coil  of 
pipe,  as  shown  in 
this  plan.  The  pipes 
for  auxiliary  heat  should  be  placed  along  the  nprth  side 
and  as  low  as  the  size  of  the  heater  will  permit,  but  it  is 
not  necessary  to  place  the  heater  in  a  pit,  as  there  is  no 
disadvantage  in  having  the  pipes  well  up  o"h  the  wall,  so 
long  as  they  are  not  above  the  rear  windows. 

Fig.  133  shows  floor  plan,  with  six  hovers,  each 
capable  of  accommodating  about  100  chicks.  The  number 
of  pens  may  be  reduced  to  five  if  preferred,  and  made  five 
feet  wide,  which  is  a  more  convenient  width  for  the  care- 
taker. The  heater  is  located  at  the  farther  end,  where  it  is 
out  of  the  way  but  easily  cared  for.  A  heater  with  a  12- 
inch  grate  should  provide  ample  heat  for  a  house  of  this 
size.  Do  not  make  the  mistake  of  keeping  the  house  too 
warm;  60  to  65  degrees  is  warm  enough,  as  a  rule.  The 
individual  hovers  can  be  depended  upon  ^to.  provide  the 
necessary  additional  heat  without  at  any  time  having  the 
lamps  turned  dangerously  high. 

Fig.  136  shows  a  cross  section  indicating  adjustment  of 
windows,  etc.,  also  construction  of  partitions.  These  are 
to  be  built  up  of  flooring  or  any  other  tongue-and-groove 
lumber,  to  a  height  of  21  inches  above  the  brooder  house 
floor,  with  three-foot  wire  netting  above.  Note  location  of. 
ceiling  ventilator  and  see  Fig.  141  for  detail  drawing.  Figs. 
134  and  135  show  elevation  of  front  and  end  respectively. 
Fig.  140  is  an  enlarged  drawing  of  a  pen  front.  Note 
that  the  first  eight  inches  is  occupied  by  the  joist  carrying 
the  hover  floor,.  The  hover  floor  is  set  back  one  inch 
from  face  of  joist  and  the  space  from  top  of  joist  to  bottom 
of  pen  door  is  boarded  up  with  matched  flooring,  or  with 
a  nine-inch  surfaced  board  if  desired.  The  doors,  which 
are  2x3  feet,  have  Ix3-inch  frames,  with  one-inch  mesh 
poultry  netting  tacked  on  with  double-pointed  tacks,  so 
that  there  will  be  no  loose  ends  to  catch  clothing.  The 
studs  on  either  side  of  the  door  are  2x2  inches  and  the 


FIG.    138 — CONSTRUCTION   OF   HOVER   FLOOR   IN 
BROODER    HOUSE 

partitions  are  nailed  to  them.  The  studs  are  faced  with 
IxlJ^-inch  strips  and  spaced  23j4  inches  apart,  so  that  the 
door  will  swing  shut  against  the  face  of  the  stud.  The 
rest  of  the  front  not  occupied  by  the  doors  is  finished  with 
three-inch  strips  and  one-inch  netting,  same  as  doors. 


Chain       Sash 

Adfus+er 


Where  the  brooding  pens  are  five  feet  wide  or  more, 
it  is  desirable  to  have  the  pen  doors  hung  on  double-acting 
spring  hinges,  but  this  cannot  be  done  with  four-foot  pens, 
as  in  these  narrow  pens  the 
door  cannot  swing  in  with- 
out striking  the  hover. 

Fig.  139  'is  a  detail  draw- 
ing of  chick  door  and  win- 
dow construction.  Both  door 
and  window  are  to  be 
framed,  the  window  closing 
against  a  ^xl-inch  weather 
strip.  This  strip  is  cut  short 
at  the  bottom  to  allow  the 
bottom  of  the  window  to 
swing  out  when  opened,  the 
window  being  hinged  to  the 
sill,  as  shown.  A  short 
length  of  chain  attached  to 
the  sash  with  a  screw  eye 
and  dropping  over  a  hook  in 
the  casing  above,  affords  a 
convenient  means  of  adjust- 
ing the  window  at  any 
angle.  A  spring  window  bolt 
mav  be  used  to  hold  the  win- 
dow when  closed.  The  chick 
door  slides  up  and  is  held 
open  with  hook  and  eye.  Tht 
window  sill  may  be  of  plain 
two-inch  stuff,  placed  at  an 
angle,  if  desired;  but  it  is 

easier  and  better  to  have  a  milled  sill,  spiking  it  flat  to 
the  undersill,  as  shown.  The  chick  door  sill  may  be  sloped, 
if  desired,  but  there  is  no  real  necessity  for  doing  so  and 
construction  is  simpler  as  indicated.  The  outside  doors 
are  framed,  as  shown  in  Fig.  26  on  page  19.  The  ven- 
tilator door,  shown  in  Fig.  141,  is  hung  flush  with  the 
lower  face  of  the  ceiling,  making  the  opening  wide 
enough  so  that  the  door  will  swing  freely.  It  may  be 
conveniently  swung  on  a  %-inch  iron  rod,  stapling  it 


Facing     Strip 


FIG.    139— DETAILS    OF 
WINDOW    CON- 
STRUCTION 


FIG.    140 — PEN    FRONT    IN    BROODER   HOUSE 

tightly  to  the  door  and  letting  it  turn  in  staples  driven 
into  the  ceiling  on  each  side.  This  rod  should  be  stapled 
to  the  door  just  enough  off  center  so  that  it  will  swing 
shut  when  not  fastened  open.  A  couple  of  small  blocks, 
nailed  to  the  upper  side  of  the  ceiling  at  either  end  of 
the  door,  act  as  stops.  The  door  may  be  held  open  by  a 
weight,  or  by  attaching  the  cord  to  stud  or  partition. 
These  doors  should  be  approximately  under  the  highest 
point  in  the  roof,  providing  two  in  this  30-foot  house  and 
spacing  them  20  feet  apart  in  long  houses. 


PERMANENT  BROODER  HOUSES 


73 


Open 


•>     Door     /«•  x  /6» 
on  4"  Iron    Rod 

\siopfad  +o  Ceiling  at  COCA 

end  So  that  Door  can    rum  — 
free'y. 

VENTILATION 
lx-0» 


Cord     for 


FIG.    141 — CEILING   VENTILATOR    FOR    BROODER 
HOUSE 

¥ig.   138  shows  the  construction  of  hover  floor,  run- 
way and  finish  of  passageway  partition. 


BILL,   OF  MATERIALS  FOR  16x30  FOOT  BROODER  HOUSE 

Size      Leneth 

No,  of 

Inches 

Feet 

Pieces                Remarks 

Sills,    side    ..                       ....2x4 

16 

4 

Sills,    ends    2x4 

16 

2 

Joists   for   hover   plat  2x4 

12 

6 

Plates    2x4 

16 

4 

Studs,    front    2x4 

10 

9              1    piece   cuts   i 

Studs,    rear    2x4 

12 

8              1   piece   cuts  2 

Studs,    ends   and    misc  2x4 

12 

12 

Studs,    partition    2x2 

12 

10               1  piece  cuts  2 

Rafters   2x6 

14 

16 

Rafters   2x6 

12 

8                1   piece  cuts  2 

Ties    for    rafters    2x4 

12 

15 

Braces  for  rafters  1x6 

8 

15 

Sheathing   for   roof  

660  ft.    bd.    meas.     Sfcd. 

T   &   G  siding  

625  ft.    bd.    meas. 

Matched    flooring  for 

hover   platform,    parti- 

tions, etc  

260  ft.    bd.    meas. 

%-inch     ceiling-   boards 

for   walls   and   ceiling1.. 

1250  ft.    bd.    meas. 

%x6-inch     boards     for 

ridge     pole,     door     and 

•window   frames   

125   lin.   feet.     Surfaced 

Trim    lumber,    ventila- 

tors,   etc  %x4 

430   'in.   feet.     Surfaced 

Door   and    window    sills..   2x8 

40   lin.    feet.     Milled. 

(rips    for     Inside     win- 
dow  sills,     and     facing 
for    front   partition 
studs    %xl% 
rips   for   window   stops 
and   chick   runway  %xl 
rip   cap   

75   lin.    feet. 

150  lin.   feet.     Surfaced 
30  lin.    feet.     Surfaced 

6   squares    prepared    roofing. 
2   squares  building  pap«r. 
266   sq.    ft.    1-inch   mesh    poultry   netting   for   windows. 


11   sashe.s,    1  %-inch,    4-light,    10xl2-inch    glass. 
1   4-panel   door. 
1  pr.   4-inch  butt  hinges. 

1  rim    lock. 

6  pr.    3-inch    butt   hinges   for    partition   doors. 
11   pr,   2-inch   butt  hinges   for  windows. 
18   2-inch   screw  hooks   and    eyes. 
14  ft.   of   sash   chain. 

6   anchor   bolts    %x!2in.,   with    2-in.   washers   for   each   end. 

2  iron   rods,    ^x20-inch,    for   swinging  ventilator   doors    in 
ceiling. 

1  6-inch   chimney   thimble. 
350  bricks   for  chimney. 

MATERIALS    FOR    CONCRETE    FLOOR 

50   bags  of  cement. 
120   cu.    ft.    sand. 

200   cu.    ft.    cinders    or    crushed    stone. 
160   cu.  ft.   cinders   or  stone  for  filling. 

EQUIPMENT 
Water    boiler,    12-inch    grate. 

5  gal.    expansion   tank. 

6  feet    of   2-inch    pipe. 

100    feet   of   1%-inch   pipe. 

Necessary   manifolds,   unions,    elbows,    etc. 

4  wall    brackets   for   supporting   pipe. 

2  joints   of   6-inch   stove   pipe. 

2  stove  pipe  elbows. 

6  lamp-heated   hovers,   complete. 

MASSACHUSETTS  OPEN  PIPE  BROODER  HOUSE 

A    Popular    Type   of   Brooder   House    for   Extra 

Early  Chicks.     Used   Quite  Generally  in 

New  England.    Hot  Water  Pipes 

Not  Enclosed. 

By  PROF.  J.  C.  GRAHAM 

(A  type  of  hot-water  pipe  brooding  house  in  general 
use  in  New  England,  where  it  has  given  excellent  results 
for  many  years,  is  known  as  the  open-pipe  system.  One 
of  the  most  modern  and  best  planned  houses  of  this  kind 
is  the. one  designed  and  in  use  at  the  Massachusetts  Agri- 
cultural College,  which  is  described  by  Prof.  Graham  as 
follows.  This  house  is  illustrated  in  Figs.  142  and  143. — 
Ed.) 

This  house  is  designed  for  early  or  winter  brooding 
by  people  who  wish  to  brood  in  large  numbers.  It  is  14x72 
feet.  Twelve  feet  at  one  end  is  used  for  the  pit,  furnace, 
coal,  etc.  The  other  60  feet  are  divided  into  12  pens,  each 
five  feet  wide,  as  shown  in  detail  in  Fig.  .  It  is  heated  by 
hot  water,  the  pipes  running  parallel  with  the  floor.  The 
floor  has  a  fall  of  15  inches  toward  the  pit.  This  gives  a 
good  chance  for  flow  and  return.  The  walls,  both  front 
and  rear,  are  6^4  feet  high. 

The  house  is  lathed  and  plastered  on  the  inside  with 
wood  pulp  plaster.  This  gives  a  very  hard,  smooth  finish 
and  is  about  as  cheap  a  method  of  construction  as  one  can 
use  for  a  good  finished  piece  of  work.  In  the  ceiling  there 
are  tbree  openings,  each  about  15x24  feet.  These  are  for 
ventilation  particularly.  Over  these  are  placed  burlap 
screens  or  small  doors. 

As  can  be  seen,  it  has  a  good  cement  foundation  and 


Wooden    Frames    «'-*'  *  t9 


FIO.    142 — FLOOR    PLAN    OF    PIPE    HEATED    BROODER    HOUSE    IN    USE    AT     MASSACHUSETTS   AGRI.   COLLEGE 


74 


POULTRY  HOUSES  AND  FIXTURES 


cement  floor.  Novelty  siding  is  nailed  on  the  outside  of 
the  studs.  There  is  no  double  boarding  on  the  inside.  This 
building  cost  about  $1050  and  has  given  good  satisfaction. 
Note  that  the  only  hover  we  have  is  a  burlap  screen. 
This  is  laid  over  about  one-half  of  the  space  between  par- 
titions, therefore  it  is  about  2j4  feet  square.  After  the 
ffrst  few  days  it  is  removed.  We  also  have  a  board  about 
12  inches  high  to  keep  the  chicks  within  about  two  feet  of 
the  pipes  for  the  first  24  to  48  hours.  It  is  then  moved 
back  to  about  the  middle  of  the  run  for  another  day  or 
two,  and  finally  removed,  giving  the  chicks  the  use  of  the 
entire  run. 

The  pit  is  4l/2  feet  deep.  If  possible,  it  would  be- well 
to  have  a  drain  in  this  pit.  In  cold  weather  the  water 
could  be  run  off  easily  without  carrying  it  out.  Further- 
more, in  cleaning  a  brooder  house  the  work  should  be  done 
thoroughly,  and  by  the  use  of  a  hose  the  floor  could  be 
flooded  and  the  water  carried  away  by  this  drain.  Of 
course,  it  may  not  be  convenient  to  do  this,  but  in  case  it 
is  it  will  be  well  to  provide  for  it. 

There   are   eight    lJ4-inch   pipes   5J4   inches   from   the 


FIG.  143— PIPE  HEATED  BROODER  HOUSE  AT  MASS.  AGRI.  COLLEGE 

rear  and  four  inches  apart  on  centers.  The  pipes  are  seven 
inches  from  the  floor,  but  it  would  be  just  as  well  to  drop 
them  one  inch,  making  the  distance  from  the  pipes  to  the 
floor  six  inches  instead  of  seven  inches. 

Each  hover  will  take  care  of  100  chicks,  although  we 
believe  better  results  follow  when  the  .number  is  reduced 
to  50  or  75. 

BILL    OF   MATERIALS    FOR   PIPE-HEATED    BROODER 
HOUSE 


Use 


Pieces      Size         Length     Board  Meas. 


Studs,    sides    37  2x4 

Studs,    ends    2  2x4 

Rafters    37  2x4 

Sills  2  2x4 

Sills    8  2x4 

Plates  8  2x4 

Girders  35  2x3 

Headers   7  2x4 

Posts   for   partition    6  2x3 

Post  for  railing  1  2x4 

Plant   for   bin   2  2x9 


13  ft. 
18  ft. 
18  ft. 

14  ft. 
18  ft. 
18  ft. 
14  ft. 
12  ft. 
10  ft. 

3  ft. 

14  ft. 


333 

444 
24 
18 
96 
96 

245 

56 

30 

2 

42 


Total 1386 


1264 
500 


Novelty  siding-   (front  and  rear  982) 
(ends    and   rear   282) 
Roof   boards   .....  .  .........................  ........... 

Partition   ........................  .  187 

Shingles  ............................................................................       9. 

Lath   and   plaster   ..........................................................  105  sq.  yd. 

Concrete    foundation    ....................................................  18%  sq.  yd. 

Concrete    floor    ................................................................  936  sq.  ft. 

Partitions,    wire    .............................................................  200  sq.  ft. 

Doors  —  2. 
Windows  —  12. 
Heater. 
Hardware. 
Chimney. 


PIPE  HEATED  BROODER  HOUSE  WITH  UNDER- 
NEATH HEATING  SYSTEM 

Practical   House    for    Cold    Weather    Brooding.     Pipes 

Under  Brooder  Floor.    Hover  Warm-ed  By  Gentle 

Current  of  Hot  Air. 

Pipe-heated  brooding  systems  with  enclosed  pipes 
have  been  in  use  for  many  years  and  have  given  varying 
degrees  of  satisfaction.  A  serious  objection  to  this  method 
of  brooding  is  that,  as  such  heating  systems  usually  are 
installed,  there  is  not  a  sufficient  ventilation  under  the 
hovers.  In  order  to  provide  the  better  air  circulation 
needed,  the  pipes  may  be  placed  below  the  hover  floor 
and  enclosed  in  a  chamber  or  long  narrow  box  where  air 
can  be  heated,  after  which  it  is  discharged  under  the 
hover,  thus  maintaining  a  constant  air  circulation  which 
automatically  ventilates  the  hover  space.  Plans  for  a 
house  heated  in  this  manner  are  illustrated  in  Fig.  144. 
The  house  here  shown  is  140  feet  long  and  13  feet  wide, 
and  is  separated  into  two  parts,  36  feet  and  104  feet,  re- 
spectively. The  short  end  has  12  pens  of  3  feet  each  in 
width  and  10  feet  in  length,  includ- 
ing the  hover,  and  the  longer  end 
has  24  pens  4  by  10  feet  in  size. 
The  furnace  pit  and  a  narrow  walk 
separate  the  two  lots  of  pens,  and 
an  aisle  3  feet  in  width  extends  the 
entire  length  of  the-  house  back  of 
the  hovers. 

The  system  of  heating  pipes  is 
installed  under  the  hover  floor  in 
a  concreted  trench.  The  shorter 
end  has  a  2-inch  flow  and  return 
pipe.  The  long  end  has  two  flow 
and  two  return  1^-inch  pipes,  and 
both  sides  are  controlled  by  valves 
near  the  heat  whereby  all  or  a  part 
of  the  flow  may  be  shut  off  from 
the  pipes.  The  trench  is  made  by 
excavating  to  a  depth  of  6  inches 
and  36  inches  wide.  The  sides  and 

bottom  are  cemented  and  the  top  is  boarded  with  a 
course  of  rough  1-inch  boards,  covered  with  a  layer  of 
matched  %-inch  spruce  flooring  (K).  This  double  board- 
ing prevents  any  danger  of  too  much  bottom  heat.  The 
boarding  comes  flush  with  the  edges  of  the  trench  sides, 
and  the  frame  work  of  the  hovers  is  of  Ix3-inch  posts 
which  are  only  as  high  as  the  hover  divisions  (C),  which 
in  the  small  pens  are  10  inches  and  in  the  large  pens  12 
inches. 

This  gives  a  house  entirely  free  from  inside  posts  and 
makes  possible  a  view  of  the  whole  interior  from  any 
part.  The  hover  floor  is  3  feet  wide  (the  width  of  the 
trench)  and  in  the  3-foot  pens  the  hover  top  slides  on 
cleat  (F)  6  inches  from  the  floor.  The  top  or  cover  is 
only  24  inches  wide,  which  leaves  12  inches  of  the  slightly 
warm  floor  in  front  of  the  hover  curtain,  making  a  splen- 
did resting  place  for  the  little  chicks  or  ducklings,  which 
they  evidently  enjoy.  When  first  they  are  put  in  the 
hover,  they  are  penned  back  nearly  to  this  floor  and  the 
gentle  warmth  helps  them  and  keeps  the  floor  free  from 
dampness.  The  cover  being  in  two  parts  (A  and  B)  and 
sliding  freely  on  cleats  (F),  may  readily  be  adjusted  so 
as  to  give  ventilation  at  the  back,  front  or  center  of  the 
hover,  or  all  three,  and  the  surplus  heat  may  escape  in 
the  same  way. 

The  hover  floor  is  kept  littered  with  chaff  or  shavings 
and  when  the  pen  is  to  be  cleaned,  the  hover  top  is  re- 
moved, the  back  boaid,  which  sets  between  cleats,  is 


PERMANENT  BROODER  HOUSES 


75 


fOR     EITHER     CHICK5     OH    DUCKLINGS 
UNDERNEATH    PIPING    SYSTEM 


ELEVATION    PLAN. 


Section  showing 
Hoi/er    Construction 
and    location    of  Pipes. 


iti 

,4'  - 

HD 

Per. 

TVn 

;* 

D 

t         5ft.     H 

'•(ft. 

£\ 

Passage  UUy  3ft  wide. 


•Ground       Plan. 


FIG.  144— PLANS'  FOR  PIPE  HEATED  BROODER  HOUSE  WITH  PIPES  UNDER   FLOOR 

This    illustration    shows    part    of    front  'elevation,    cross  section,  floor  plan,  and  isometric  view  of  hover.     See  ac- 
companying text  for  key  to  letters  used  in  isometric,  and  for  general  description. 


taken  out  and  the  litter  swept  into  the  aisle  and  taken 
away  in  barrels.  When  the  little  chicks  are  to  be  changed 
from  pen  to  pen,  the  back  boards  are  taken  out  and  they 
are  driven  down  the  aisles  from  one  pen  to  another,  in 
the  long  end  of  the  house  these  are  4  feet  wide  and  the 
hover  8  inches  high,  but  otherwise  are  the  same  as  the 
short  end.  The  illustration  shows  a  hover  closed,  one 
with  the  top  partly  cut  away  and  one  with  the  top  off  and 
the  back  out,  ready  for  cleaning. 

The  hot  air  is  admitted  to  the  hovers  through  the  up- 
light  1%-inch  pipes  seen  in  the  lower  floor.  These  pipes 
reach  nearly  to  the  underside  of  the  house  and  the  lower- 
ends  just  reach  through  the  board  floor,  being  flush  with 
the  under  side.  Back  of  each  second  hover  (on  the  divis- 
ion post,  so  as  to  be  out  of  the  way)  is  a  2x3  air  box 
which  reaches  down  under  the  side  and  permits  the  cold 
air  to  enter  the  trench.  This  gives  a  chance  for  the 
warm  air  in  the  trench  to  rise  through  the  short,  upright 
pipes  under  the  hover  while  cold  air  is  drawing  from  the 
aisle,  making  a  perfect  circulation.  The  warm  air  strikes 
the  hover  and,  deflecting,  makes  the  entire  hover  space 
warm,  but  does  not  expose  the  chick  to  drafts  or  to  direct 
heat.  The  sliding  two-piece  hover-top  permits  of  ventil- 
ation and  the  escape  of  surplus  heat  at  the  will  of  the 
operator.  For  the  older  chicks  no  curtain  is  supplied  for 
the  hover  front,  which  is  left  entirely  open. 

MATERIALS   REQUIRED   FOR   10O-FOOT   HOUSE 

Sills,   12  pieces,  3  by  4,  18  feet:   2  pieces,   3  by   4  14  feet. 
Plates,   12    pieces,   2   by   4,   18   feet:    2   pieces,   2   by   4,   14   feet. 
Studs,    (10  feet  to  enters),  11  pieces,   2  by  4,  6  feet  3  inches; 

30    pieces,    2    by    3,    4  feet    1    inches. 
Grits,   10   pieces,   2   by  3,   12   feet. 
Rafters,   51   pieces,   2   by   4,   16    feet. 

Extra  for  slides,  door  frames,  etc.,  8  pieces,  2  by  3,  16  feet. 
Rafter  ties,  49  pieces,  1  by  6,  7  feet. 
Boards,    outside,    700    feet    14-feet,    2300    feet    16-feet:    inside. 

524   feet:    total,   plain,   3524   feet;   matched,    900;    if   ceiled 

inside   add    2400   feet. 


Board   up   and   down,    roof   lengthwise. 
Paper,   roof,   1500   feet;    balrvnce   1400   feet. 
Doors,    three    3    by   6    feet   6    inches,    one    2    by   5. 
Wire   netting  to   suit  use,    1-inch   mesh. 

HOVER  WORK 

Sills,  12   pieces,  2  by  6,  16  feet. 

Floor,  300  feet,  12  feet. 

Covers,  divisions  and   back,  matched  500  feet,   12  feet. 

Pen  division  boards,   14  pieces,   1   by  12,   16   feet. 

Windows,  14  12-light,   9  by  13;  6  rear  windows  6-light,  9  by 

13;   2   end  windows,   6-light,   9  by  13. 
Cement  floor  under  all,   1300   feet. 

Pit  wall  18  inches,  5  by  8  feet,  5  feet  deep,  pointed. 
Walk  across  pit  and  stairs,  5  pieces,  2  by  6,  16  feet. 
Heating  and  piping  to  suit. 

COMBINATION  HOT  WATER  AND  COLONY 
HOVER  BROODER  HOUSE 

Front  Section  Heated  By  Hot  Water  Pipes  Underneath 

Floor.     Rear  Section  Accommodates  Several 

Colony  Hovers. 

The  semi-monitor  roof  brooder  house,  shown  in  Fig. 
145,  was  designed  by  J.  W.  Parks,  the  well-known  breeder 
of  Barred  Plymouth  Rocks,  after  a  careful  study  of 
brooder-house  construction  in  general  and  his  own  special 
requirements  in  particular.  It  has  been  in  use  on  his  poul- 
try plant  for  the  past  few  years  with  complete  success.  It 
is  unique  in  brooder-house  construction  in  that  it  utilizes 
both  the  hot  water  and  colony  hover  brooding  systems, 
one  helping  out  the  other  to  some  extent  and  thus,  it  is 
believed,  getting  the  best  results  from  each. 

The  house  is  65  feet  lony'and  28  feet  wide.  Both  front 
and  rear  walls  are  five  feet  high  from  sills  to  eaves  and 
the  front  of  the  rear  section  is  11  feet  high.  The  house  is 
divided  lengthwise  in  the  center,  the  front  part  being 
equipped  with  a  water  boiler  and  a  coil  of  heating  pipes. 
A  space  about  5x10  feet  is  occupied  by  the  boiler  and  coal 
bin,  the  boiler  standing  in  a  three-foot  pit.  The  outside 


76 


POULTRY  HOUSES  AND  FIXTURES 


FIG.    145 — COMBINATION    PIPE    HEATED    AND    COLONY    HOVER 

BROODING  HOUSE 
Photo  furnished  by  J.  W.  Parks. 


door  opens  into  a  passageway  Z1/?  feet  wide  and  sunk  so 
that  the  floor  is  three  feet  below  the  main  floor  of  the 
house.  The  coil  of  hot  water  pipes,  consisting  of  six  lines 
of  1%-inch  pipe,  is  enclosed  in  a  wooden  box  underneath 
the  floor  of  the  house.  Each  compartment  is  provided 
with  a  hover,  which  is  heated  by  means  of  warmed  air, 
which  is  admitted  from  the  pipe  box  to  the  hover  chamber 
through  hot  air  flues  suitably  located  in  the  floor  under 
the  hover.  This  part  of  the  house  is  divided  into  15  pens, 
each  four  feet  wide  and  having  a  normal  brooding  capac- 
ity of  about  100  chicks,  or  1,500  in  all. 

The  back  part  of  the  house,  which  is  separated  from 
the  front  by  an  open  partition  of  wire  and  boards,  is  di- 
vided into  five  compartments,  each  equipped  with  a  coal- 
burning  colony  hover.  In  cold  weather,  with  the  water 
heater  in  operation,  the  temperature  of  the  entire  house 
is  made  comfortable,  and  the  colony  hovers  are  more 
easily  operated  and  regulated  to  the  correct  brooding  tem- 
perature, thus  protecting  the  chicks  from  extreme  changes 
in  room  temperature  that  often  occur  with  this  method  of 
brooding  when  something  goes  wrong  with  the  regulating 
device  or  the  supply  of  fuel.  Operating  cclony  hovers  in 
a  partially  heated  house  also  reduces  the  danger  of  floor 
drafts,  which  are  especially  liable  to  exist  when  the  out- 
side temperature  is  quite  low. 

In    ordinary    operation    Mr.    Parks     uses     the     colony 


hover  pens  for  his  market  or  utility 
chicks,  while  his  best  stock — the  blue- 
blooded  chicks  that  are  to  have  the 
most  favorable  conditions  possible, 
are  brooded  in  the  hot  water  heated 
compartments.  In  writing  regarding 
these  two  systems  and  their  respec- 
tive merits,  Mr.  Parks  says: 

"I  like  the  pipe  system  better.  1 
have  about  as  good  success  with  one 
as  with  the  other  and  the  pipe  sys- 
tem is  more  expensive  than  the  other 
on  account  of  the  greater  labor  re- 
quired for  caring  for  small  flocks  oi 
chicks,  also  because  of  the  larger  in- 
vestment in  equipment.  But  to  get 
best  results  chicks  should  be  brooded 
in  comparatively  small  flocks;  more- 
over, chicks  brooded  under  a  colony  hover  should  all  be 
of  the  same  age,  and  as  we  do  not  get  as  many  as  500 
chicks  of  our  best  matings  that  we  can  brood  together, 
it  is  necessary  to  have  the  smaller  compartments  of  the 
pipe-heated  system  to  care  for  them. 

"Colony  hovers  no  doubt  are  the  cheapest  for  brood- 
ing chicks  in  large  numbers.  It  takes  some  skill,  however, 
to  handle  .colony  hover  chicks  after  they  are  ten  days  old, 
when,  if  not  carefully  handled,  they  are  liable  to  get 
switched  into  corners  where  they  crowd  and  sweat  instead 
of  gathering  in  a  loose  open  ring  under  the  hover  or  dome, 
as  they  should.  In  hot  weather,  also,  there  is  some  trouble 
keeping  the  fire  low  enough  without  having  it  go  out. 
You  will  see  from  this  that  I  use  both  methods  and  find 
both  necessary  to  best  results  under  my  conditions.  My 
brooding  losses  the  past  two  years  have  not  been  much 
more  by  one  method  than  the  other.  Have  had  as  few  as 
ten  lost  at  four  weeks  out  of  a  lot  of  500,  though,  of 
course,  not  all  lots  do  so  well." 

The  door  of  this  house  is  at  end  opposite  the  one 
shown  in  Fig.  145,  and  opens  into  a  sunken  passageway 
back  of  the  pipe-heated  hover  system.  The  ground  in 
front  of  the  pens  is  graded  up  to  the  sills  so  that  the 
chicks  can  pass  readily  from  house  pens  to  yards  without 
the  use  of  special  board  inclines. 


FIG.     146— REAR    ELEVATION    OF    SINGLE    PEN 
COLONY  HOVER  HOUSE 

From   blue  print  furnished  by  Poultry  Division  of  U.   S. 
Department  of  Agriculture. 


FIG.    147 — FRONT    ELEVATION    OF    SINGLE    PEN 

COLONY  HOVER  HOUSE 

From   blue   print  furnished   by   Poultry   Division   of  U.    S. 
Department  of  Agriculture. 


.PERMANENT  BROODER  HOUSES 


77 


A  SINGLE  COMPARTMENT  COLONY  BROODER 

HOUSE 

This  Portable  House  Can  Be  Moved  With  a  Two-Horse 

Team  if  Light-Weight  Lumber  is  Used  in 

Building  It. 

Where  a  single  compartment  house  for  colony 
brooding  is  required,  the  plans  shown  in  Figs.  146,  147 
and  148  will  be  found  practical  and  economical.  These 
plans  were  prepared  by  the  Poultry  Division  of  the  U.  S. 
Department  of  Agriculture  and  houses  constructed  from 
them  are  in  use  on  the  Government  Experiment  Farm  at 
Beltsville,  near  Washington,  D.  C. 

The  plans  provide  for  a  lOxlO-foot  house,  on  runners 
for  convenient  moving,  and  its  general  outlines  are  easily 
understood  from  the  drawings.  All  dimensions  are  indi- 
cated. The  floor  is  of  tongue-and-groove  flooring,  laid 
on  2x6-inch  joists  set  2  feet  apart.  Rafters  are  2  feet 
apart,  and  corners  and  runners  are  thoroughly  braced. 
Following  is  the  bill  of  materials  required: 


10   ft. 
12  ft. 


125   sq.   ft.   T    &    G   flooring    7/8x2%    in. 
325   sq.   ft.   T    &    G    flooring-    %x2V&    in. 

6   pcs.  2x6  inch  x  10  ft.  for  joists. 

2  pcs.    4x6    in.    x    12    ft.    for    runners. 

6   pcs.   2x4   in.   x   14   ft.   for   rafters. 
16   pcs.   2x4   in.   x    12   ft.   for   braces   and   studs. 
150   sq.   ft.   sheathing    %x!2   in.   x   12   ft.,   surfaced   1   side. 
1%   rools  roofing  paper. 

4   sashes,   2   ft.    square. 

2   sashes  18x24  inches. 

Nails,   screws,  hinges,  and  paint. 


TWO  COMPARTMENT  COLONY  BROODING 
HOUSE 

jquires    Less    Fuel,  is    More    Comfortable,  and    More 
Adaptable  to  Changing  Weather  Conditions  Than 
Single  Compartment  Houses. 

Brooding  with  colony  hovers  heated  by  means  of  oil 
coal-burning  stoves  is  a  comparatively  new  method,  but 
one  that  has  become  extremely  popular  wherever  chicks 
are  raised  in  large  numbers,  and  that  has  practically  revo 
lutionized  general  brooding  practice. 

As  a  rule,  these  hovers  are  placed  in  any  buildings 
that  happen  to  be  available,  and  usually  with  good  re- 
sults. Large  brooder  flocks  necessarily  require  much 


FIG.     148 — TWO-SECTION    MUSLIN    COVERED     FRAME 

This  two-section  shutter  is  so  made  that  the  upper 
part  can  be  opened  to  provide  needed  ventilation  when 
it  is  not  desirable  to  have  entire  shutter  open.  A  cross 
section  of  shutter  is  shown  at  left.  The  middle  button 
at  top  holds  upper  section  firmly  in  place  when  closed. 
The  buttons  on  either  side  are  attached  to  the  frame 
of  section  and  act  as  stops. 


FIG.  149 — FLOOR  PLAN  OF  SINGLE1  PEN  HOUSE  FOR 
COLONY  HOVER 

From   blue   print   furnished   by   Poultry  Division   of  U.   S. 
Department  of  Agriculture. 

greater  floor  space  than  is  provided  for  flocks  of  50  to  100, 
and  larger  houses  or  rooms,  combined  with  the  method  of 
heating  employed,  frequently  develop  floor  drafts  to  some 
extent.  These  must  be  reckoned  with,  especially  in  cold- 
weather  brooding.  One  of  the  ways  of  preventing  this 
trouble  is  to  build  the  house  so  that  it  can  be  divided  into 
two  parts  of  about  equal  dimensions,  placing  the  hover 
in  one  section  which  is  built  quite  warm  but  well  lighted, 
the  other  section  being  used  as  an  exercising  compartment 
and  generally  built  with  a  curtain  front. 

The  house  illustrated  in   Figs.   150  and   152  has  been 
carefully    designed    to    meet    the    special    requirements    of 


FJG.    150 — CROSS    SECTION    OF    TWO    COMPARTMENT 
HOUSE    FOR    COLONY    HOVER 


78 


POULTRY  HOUSES  AND  FIXTURES 


colony    brooding    and    will    be    found 
suitable  for  the  use  of  the  great  ma- 
jority of  those  who  are  raising  chicks 
by  this  time  and  labor-saving  method. 
Fig.  152  shows  floor  plan  of  house, 
which   is   10x24  feet,    with    a    10-foot 
hover   section   partitioned   off  at   one 
end.     When     the     chicks     are     first 
placed   under   the   hover   they  are   to 
be  confined  to  this  room.     It  is  large 
enough    for    several    hundred     during 
the    first   week    or    two,    but     not    so 
large    as    to    invite    floor    drafts,    and 
it  can    be    comfortably    heated    with 
much    less    fuel     than     would    be    re- 
quired  to   maintain   the    correct   tem- 
perature if  the  entire  house  were  in 
one  room. 

When   the   chicks   are   ten   days   to 
two   weeks   old,   or   when   only   a   few   days   old   in 


FIG    151— FRONT   ELEVATION   OF   TWO-COMPARTMENT   HOUSE    FOR 

COLONY   HOVER 


mild 


weather,  they  should  be  given  access  to  the  exercising 
compartment,  which  is  provided  with  a  muslin  shutter  for 
ventilation.  In  order  to  be  able  to  graduate  the  ventila- 
tion, a  double  shutter  is  provided  so  that  the  upper  part 
may  be  opened  without  disturbing  the  lower  section,  thus 
affording  fresh  air  without  exposing  the  chicks  to  direct 
drafts  from  the  opening,  as  would  be  the  case  if  the 
entire  shutter  were  to  be  opened  in  severe  or  stormy 
weather.  In  milder  weather,  or  when  the  chicks  are 
older  and  have  been  somewhat  hardened,  the  entire  shut- 
ter may  be  hooked  up,  thus  giving  the  chicks  practically 
outdoor  conditions  without  exposure.  This  shutter  is 
shown  in  detail  in  Fig.  148. 

Fig.  150  is  a  cross  section  of  the  hover  end  and  Fig. 
151  shows  the  front  of  the  completed  house. 


Frame    for    top  shutter..  %x2 

Strip   under  shutter %x2Ms 

Strip    under    window %x2% 


20  lin.  ft. 

6  lin.  ft. 

10   lin.  ft. 


Surfaced 
Surfaced 
Surfaced 


sides 
sides 
sides  - 


Remarks 


BILL,    OF    MATERIALS    FOR    COLONY    HOVER    HOUSE 

No.  of 
Pieces 

4 

2 

4 
11 

4 
10 


Size      Length 
Inches       Feet 
12 
10 
12 
10 


12 


1    piece   cuts 
Cut   to   fit. 


Sills,    sides    2x8 

Sills,    ends 2x8 

Sills,   half  width  2x4 

Joists   2x6 

Plates    2x4 

Studs,    front    2x4 

Studs,    rear   2x4 

Studs,   ends   2x4 

Rafters   2x5 

Window   sills   2x5 

Roof  boards   1x10 

TAG  siding  %x6 

Flooring  %  x4 

Celling-  9-16x4  350  ft.  bd.  meas. 

Door  &  window   frames..%x6       150  lin.  ft.    Surfaced 

Trim   boards   %x4         60  lin.  ft.    Surfaced 

Frame   for   shutter %x3%     25  lin.  ft.    Surfaced 


Spike     to    inside 
face  of  side  sill. 


10 
16 
12 
10 


6 

4 

13 

2 


2. 


325  ft.  bd.  meas. 
450  ft.  bd.  meas. 
300  ft.  bd.  meas. 


Surfaced 


sides 
sides 
sides 


ftoom. 


YARD 


3%   squares  prepared  roofing. 

3  squares   sheathing  paper  for   floor. 
60  sq.  ft.  wire  netting  for  curtain  front. 

2  12-light   windows,    10x12. 

3  pr.  8-inch  T-strap  hinges. 

3  hasps. 

4  pr.    2-inch   butt   hinges   for   windows. 

1  pr.   2% -inch   butt   hinges  for  shutters. 
1  pr.  3-inch  butt  hinges  for  shutters. 
4  2-inch   screw  hooks  and   eyes. 
Nails,   tacks  and   paint. 

Capacity  of  Colony  Hover  Brooding  Houses 

Overciowding  is  geneial  among  chick  raisers,  but  is 
particularly  common  in  colony-hover  brooding  where  the 
effects  of  this  mistaken  practice  are  most  serious.  The 
wise  chick  raiser  will  conservatively  estimate  the  capac- 
ity of  his  house  as  well  as  the  brooder,  and  will  keep 
well  inside  its  limits.  The  house  shown  in  Figs.  146,  147 
and  149,  is  large  enough  for  300  to  500  chicks  for  the 
first  two  or  three  weeks,  with  proper  care,  but  after  that 
time  the  number  positively  must  be  reduced,  unless  the 
chicks  can  be  outdoors  practically  all  day  long.  In  that 
case  the  flock  may  remain  undivided  until  the  chicks  no 
longer  need  artificial  heat. 

At   that  time   the   cockerels   should  be   removed,   but 
the   pullets   may   be   left   to   grow   to   maturity   together, 
provided   the   house   can   be   thoroughly   ventilated.     The 
capacity  of  the   house   shown   in   Figs.   150,   151   and    152 
is  practically  the  same  as  for  the  smaller  house  during  the 
brooding  period.    After  the  chicks  no  longer  need  artifi- 
cial heat  the  entire  house  can  be  used 
for  perches,  thus  dividing  the  chicks 
into  two  flocks. 

For  use  early  in  the  season,  when 
the  chicks  must  be  confined  indoors, 
estimated  capacity  should  always  be 
discounted  considerably,  as  any 
brooder  house  will  comfortably  ac- 
commodate many  more  chicks  when 
they  are  running  out  most  of  the 
time.  In  cold  weather  brooding,  the 
maximum  size  of  the  flock  for  either 
house  herein  described  should  not 
exceed  300,  and  this  number  must  be 
greatly  reduced  after  the  chicks  are 
a  few  weeks  old. 

Tn  addition  to   the  brooder  houses 
illustrated  and  described  in  this  chap 
ter,  most  of  which  are  designed  to  b< 
permanent,  the  reader  should  consult 
FIG.   152-FLOOR   PLAN  FOR  TWO-COMPARTMENT   COLONY  HOVER  HOUSE      the  plans  in  Chapter  VII. 


CHAPTER     VIII 

Practical  Incubator  Houses 


Where  Several  Incubators  Are  Operated  Better  Results  Will  Be  Secured  and  Time  Saved  by  Providing  a  Special  Build- 
ing for  Them— Plans  Are  Here  Given  for  a  Moderate-Cost  Basement  Incubator  House  With  Especial 
Provision  for  Adequate  Ventilation — Plans  for  Low  Cost  Above-Ground    Incubator 
Building,  Also  a  Combination  Incubator  Cellar  and  Brooder  House. 


HE  location  of  the  incubator  has  much  to  do  with 
its  successful  operation.  Some  persons  are  able 
to  get  good  results  with  incubators  installed  in 
living  rooms  and  in  other  locations  that  are  far 
from  ideal,  but  at  best  they  do  it  in  spite  of  the  location 
and  not  on  account  of  it. 

Wherever  it  is  at  all  possible  to  do  so,  the  incubator 
should  be  operated  in  a  cellar,  basement,  or  specially  con- 
structed incubator  house,  such  as  is  illustrated  in  the  fol- 
lowing pages.  This  is  desirable,  not 
only  to  secure  a  more  uniform  tem- 
perature than  is  possible  in  any 
above-ground  building  or  room,  un- 
less very  expensively  constructed,  but 
because  such  a  room  provides  more 
natural  and  uniform  humidity,  and  is 
cooler  in  summer.  All  practical  incu- 
bator operators  know  that  it  is  par- 
ticularly ^hard  to  get  good  hatches  in 
warm  rooms,  due  chiefly  to  the  dif- 
ficulty of  securing  proper  ventilation 
under  such  conditions. 

For  one  or  two  machines,  the  house 
cellar  may  be  satisfactory,  but  when 

three  or  more  are  to  be  operated  it  often  is  difficult  to 
secure  proper  ventilation  without  interfering  with  the 
other  uses  to  which  such  a  cellar  must  be  put.  Where 
chicks  are  to  be  hatched  in  large  numbers,  therefore,  it 

f  desirable  to  have  a  special  incubator  cellar. 
The  house  shown  in  Figs.  153,  154,  155  and  156  will 
accommodate  ten  large-sized  lamp-heated  machines,  but 
can  be  reduced  or  enlarged  to  suit  individual  require- 
ments. The  floor  plan  with  work-room  (see  Fig.  157) 
will  accommodate  eight  machines  and  is  especially  recom- 
mended as  being  convenient  and  practical,  and  well 
worth  the  additional  cost. 

The  outside  dimensions  of  this  house  are  13  feet  10 
inches  in  width  by  26  feet  4  inches  in  length.  This  makes 
the  inside  dimensions  of  the  chamber  12  feet  6  inches  by 
25  feet,  in  the  clear.  The  ceiling  is  9  feet  4  inches  high. 
If  a  smaller  house  is  desired  the  dimensions  may  be 


changed  to  suit.  For  example,  a  house  without  vestibule, 
to  hold  six  large-sized  incubators,  should  be  12  feet  6 
inches  wide  by  15  feet  long,  in  the  clear. 

In  building,  remember  that  the  forms  for  a  five-foot 
concrete  wall  require  heavy  bracing.  An  eight-inch  wall 
is  provided  in  the  plan  (see  cross  section,  Fig.  153),  but 
a  six-inch  wall  is  sufficiently  heavy.  Whatever  the  width 
of  the  wall,  it  is  desirable  to  have  the  bottom  extended  for 
footing,  as  shown  in  Fig.  155.  If  soft  spots  are  found  in 


'-r^J-Jj-    —     1  i1    i   — JhinaJe*,  Of  • 

Burlap  ^f-<y/7>es  ffr  ft-ant  Of  Wmdo*J$  Hot  Sho 


rced  Deceit  -Door-  l/entil».rorSlidr  P&rt/yOf>rtt. 

FIG.     153— CROSS    SECTION    OF    INCUBATOR 


FIG.    154 — SIDE    ELEVATION   OF    INCUBATOR 


the  ground  at  this  depth,  which  is  not  probable,  the  exca- 
vation at  these  points  must  be  carried  down  to  solid 
ground  to  prevent  cracking  and  settling  of  the  walls.  The 
side  walls  at  the  steps  may  be  four  to  six  inches  thick, 
and  the  steps  should  be  solid. 

The  frame  of  this  house  is  to  be  of  2x6-inch  timbers, 
with  the  sills  anchored  to  the  foundation  wall.  The  walls 
above  the  ground  are  to  be  double-boarded  with  heavy 
sheathing  paper  nailed  to  each  side  of  the  studs  and  the 
boards  laid  over  this.  The  ceiling  of  the  room  should 
also  have  an  insulating  covering  of  sheathing  paper  tacked 
to  the  lower  face  of  the  joists  before  the  boards  are 
nailed  on. 

Note  that  burlap  frames  are  to  be  provided  outside 
of  all  windows,  screening  the  windows  from  the  sun  and 
preventing  direct  air  currents  when  the  windows  are  open. 
In  warm  weather  or  when  the  wind  is  not  blowing,  the 
burlap  screens  may  be  opened  outward  admitting  more 
air,  but  still  screening  the  windows  from  direct  sunlight 
which,  if  unobstructed,  is  liable  to  raise  the  room  temper- 
ature several  degrees  in  a  short  time,  and  interfere  with 
the  regulation  of  the  machines.  A  shingle  roof  is  recom- 
mended for  this  building  as  shingles  give  a  more  even 
temperature  than  prepared  roofing.  Both  gables  should 
have  louvered  ventilators,  as  shown. 

Fig.  153  shows  a  cross  section  of  the  house  without 
incubatois.  As  regularly  planned  it  is  to  be  built  three  feet 
in  the  ground,  and  banked  up  two  feet,  which  calls  for  a 
five  foot  concrete  wall,  the  balance  of  the  side  walls  being 
of  frame  construction.  The  ceiling  is  carried  up  into  the 
gable  to  give  ample  height  in  the  incubator  room,  a  more 
important  feature  than  many  realize.  The  cross  section 
shows  the  installation  of  the  special  ventilator  flues,  which 
insure  poor  air  in  the  room  under  all  conditions.  These 
fliies  may  be  of  galvanized  iron,  sewer  tile  or  any  other 
available  material  that  is  suitable  for  the  purpose.  In 


HOUSE 


80 


POULTRY  HOUSES  AND  FIXTURES 


building  a  new  incubator  house  a 
good  way  is  to  provide  for  these 
flues  in  the  concrete  wall,  which 
makes  them  indestructible. 

Fig.  106  shows  the  floor  plan  as 
designed  for  ten  machines  and  Fig. 
157  a  floor  plan  with  workroom  in 
front.  With  the  latter  all  lamp  fill- 
ing and  trimming  can  be  done  out- 
side of  the  hatching  chamber,  where 
convenient  facilities  may  be  pro- 
vided for  doing  the  work.  This  work- 
room is  used  for  testing  eggs,  also 
for  storing  hatching  eggs  where  they 
can  be  held  under  the  best  possible 
conditions  while  awaiting  their  turn 
to  be  placed  in  the  machine.  The  oil 
supply  is  to  be  piped  from  an  out- 
side storage  tank  or  barrel,  which 
may  be  buried,  or  supported  above 

the  ground  on  a  suitable  stand.  Where  a  drain  pipe  can  be 
installed,  the  floor  should  slope  to  a  trap  conveniently 
located,  so  that  it  can  be  flushed  or  scrubbed  at  will. 

Figs.   154  and  155  show  front  and  side  elevations.    If 
the  workroom   suggested  in  Fig.   157  is  not  wanted  it  is 


.              _-JK 

0 

0 

'f 

\ 

o 


Q 


0 


26V- 


TIG.    157 — FLOOR    PLAN    OF   INCUBATOR    HOUSE    WITH    WORKROOM 


BILL   OF   MATERIALS   FOR   INCUBATOR   HOUSE 


Use 


Size      Length 
Inches       Feet 
14 
14 
14 
14 
10 


No.  of 
Pieces 

4 

2 

4 


Remarks 


One    piece    cuts    2. 
Cut  to  fit. 


Louye.re.eL. 


IB  x2V 


7 

12 

28 

13 

2 

500  ft.  board  measure. 
325  ft.  board  measure. 
700  ft  board  measure. 

100  lin.   ft.  Surfaced  4  sides 

70  lin.  ft.  Surfaced  4  sides 
150  lin.  ft.  Surfaced  4  sides 
100  lin.  ft.  Surfaced  4  sides 


FIG.   155— FRONT  ELEVATION  OF  INCUBATOR  HOUSE 

advisable  to  enclose  the  steps  so  as  to  provide  a  vesti- 
bule, which  will  assist  materially  in  maintaining  a  uni- 
form temperature. 

The  following  bill  of  materials  is  for  a  house  to  be 
built  without  workroom.  If  this  is  to  be  provided,  suffi- 
cient extra  material  must  be  added. 


FIG.  156— FLOOR  PLAN  OF  INCUBATOR  HOUSE  FOR  TEN  MACHINES 


Sills,    side    2x6 

Sills,    end   2x6 

Plates,   side   2x6 

Plates,    end    2x6 

Studs,  front  &  back   2x6 

Studs,    ends   2x6  8 

Rafters   2x6          10 

Ties  1x6          10 

Ridge   pole   1x7          14 

Roof   boards    1x10 

T   &  G  siding %x6 

Ceiling   %x4 

Frame    for    doors 

and  windows  %x6 

Frame  for  burlap 

shutter  %x2 

Trim   lumber   %x4 

Barge  boards  %x8 

5M.    shingles. 

1   door,   2   feet  9   inches  x   7  feet. 
6   sashes,    6-light   12xl2-inch    glass. 

6  metal    sash   adjusters. 
36   sq.   ft.    burlap. 

6   bolts    %x!2-inch   with    2-inch   washers. 
1  pr.   5-inch   butt  hinges. 
12  pr.    2-inch   butt   hinges   for  windows  and   screens. 
1  metal   ventilator   slide   5    inches   x   2    feet   3   inches. 
1  door  lock. 
4   8-inch    ventilator   flues   with   dampers,    cords   and    pullets 

complete. 
Nails,   tacks  and  paint. 

MATERIAL    FOR    FOUNDATION    AND    FLOOR 

70  bags   of   Portland    cement. 
162  cu.   ft.   of  sand. 
325  cu.   ft.   of  crushed   stone   or  gravel. 

A  SMALL  INCUBATOR  HOUSE 
Where  there  are  practical  objections  to  building  the 
incubator   house   partially   underground,   as    suggested    in 
the    preceding   plan,    it   may   be    built 
entirely  above  ground  and,  if  proper- 
ly   designed,   will   give   excellent   ser 
vice.     Such  a  house  has  been  in  sue 
cessful  use  at  the  Western  Washing 
ton   Experiment    Station    for    severa 
years.     This    house    can    be    built  a 
comparatively  slight  cost  where  chea] 
lumber     is     available,     and     is     larg 
enough   to  meet  the   requirements  o 
farmers  and  small  producers  general 
ly.    It  can  be  located  wherever  con 
venient  and  requires    no    excavation 
The    following     description     is     con 
densed    from     Bulletin    No.  4  of  th 
Western    Washington    Station: 

"This  incubator  house,  a  floor  plai 
of    which    is    illustrated    in    Fig.    15? 
is   16  feet  wide,  20   feet   long,   and 
feet  to  the  eaves,  finished  with  No. 
rustic,  with   one-third   slope,  and   ha 


PRACTICAL  INCUBATOR  HOUSES 


81 


a  shingled  roof.  The  door  is  in  the  north  end.  There 
are  two  windows  in  each  side.  The  south  end  of  the 
building  is  built  solid,  with  the  exception  of  the  small 
ventilator  in  the  end  near  the  peak,  as  seen  in  the  north 
end  above  the  door  and  just  below  the  peak.  The  house 
was  painted  red  and  trimmed  in  white,  giving  it  a  neat 
appearance. 

"To  construct  an  incubator  house  like  the  one  illus- 
trated in  Fig.  158,  the  following  bill  of  lumber  is  required: 

3  pieces   4x4-inch,    20    feet   long:,   for   sills. 

2  pieces,   2x4-inch,    20    feet   long   for    plates. 
11   pieces  2x4-inch,    16    feet   long  for   floor   joists. 
30   pieces   2x4-inch,   9  feet  long  for   studding. 
11   pieces  2x4-inch,    16   feet   long  for   ceiling   joists. 
22   pieces  2x4-inch,    12    feet   long  for   rafters. 
750  board   feet   of   matched   siding.. 

600   board   feet  of   Ix6-inch   sheathing    (also   used   for   corner 
boards  and  other  finish  lumber.)  . 

4  M   cedar  shingles. 

320   board   feet   of  matched   flooring. 
320   board  feet  of  match'ed  ceiling. 

1   door  2   ft.    8   in.   x   6   ft.    8   in. 

4  window    sashes    12xl6-inch,    4-light. 
To    construct    the    inner    hatching   room: 

22  pieces   2x3-inch,   9   feet   long. 
1200    board   feet   of   matched    ceiling. 

1  door   2  ft.    8   in.   x   6   ft.    8   in. 


..c. 


D 


<-*:., 

2]oo[r 

n"x 

r:  .  jj.  .  .i_  
0'  T" 

__J. 

f;    s 

oc 

•  - 

i 

1  £ 

^\ 

'i 

2.0---  - 


FIG.    158 — FLOOR   RLAN  OF  ABOVE-GROUND   INCUBATOR   HOUSE 
Reproduced  from  Bui.  4,  West.  Washington  Exp.  Station. 


"The  building  is  constructed  on  the  ground,  with  a 
wooden  floor  (concrete  is  recommended),  and  stands  on 
cedar  blocks  resting  on  flat  rocks  projecting  above  the 
surface  of  the  ground.  The  three  pieces,  4x4-in.x20-ft, 
provided  in  the  bill  of  materials,  are  used  as  sills,  one  on 
either  side  and  one  in  the  middle.  Eleven  pieces,  2x4-in. 
by  16-ft,  are  nailed  to  the  sills  on  their  edges,  two  feet 
apart,  and  covered  with  Ix6-in.  tongue-and-groove  floor- 
ing. For  studding  for  the  outer  walls  use  2x4-in.x9-ft,  set 
two  feet  apart  center  to  center.  For  plates  use  2x4-in.  by 
20-ft.  For  ceiling  joist  use  11  pieces  2x4-in.xl6-ft,  and  for 
rafters,  22  pieces  2x4-in.xl2-ft.  Ceil  with  Ix4-in.  tongue- 
and-groove  ceiling.  Enclose  the  building  with  IxlO-inch 
shiplap.  Cover  the  rafters  with  Ix6-in.  sheathing  laid  two 
inches  apart,  and  shingle.  Put  in  on  either  side  two  3x3- 
ft.  windows,  placed  five  feet  above  the  floor.  Build  the 
frames  for  the  windows  to  admit  opening  them  by  slid- 
ing. These  windows  cannot  be  hung  on  hinges,  since  the 
inner  room  would  interfere  in  opening  .them.  Now,  draw 
a  line  around  the  entire  room  two  feet  from  the  wall.  On 
this  line  at  intervals  of  four  feet  place  2x3-in.x9-ft.  stud- 
ding. Ceil  both  sides  of  the  studding  with  Ix4-in.  ceiling. 
Put  in  two  ventilator  windows,  2x2-ft.,  5-in.,  in  each  side 
directly  opposite  the  outer  windows  and  close  them  with 


doors  made  of  matched  ceiling.  Hang  these  ventilators 
with  4-inch  strap  hinges  at  the  lower  edge.  To  open 
them,  tip  them  back  from  the  top  by  means  of  a  cord. 

"The  door  is  in  the  north  end  and  leads  into  an  air 
space  (A)  two  feet  in  width,  extending  around  the  inner 
room  (D),  which  is  entered  through  the  door  (F),  which 
is  directly  opposite  the  outer  door.  The  inner  room  (D) 
contains  six  250-egg  incubators  (EEE).  CC  are  the  win- 
dows in  the  outer  wall  and  are  directly  opposite  and  at  the 
same  height  as  the  ventilator  windows  (BBB)  in  the 
inner  double  wall. 

"We  regard  this  incubator  house  a  success,  securing 
as  it  does  an  even  temperature  and  purest  air,  both  of 
which  are  indispensable  in  the  hatching  of  chicks  or  tur- 
keys by  artificial  methods." 

It  will  be  noticed  that  this  house  is  described  as  be- 
ing 16  by  20  feet,  though  in  the  floor  plan  the  width  is  in- 
dicated as  18  feet,  which  no  doubt  is  an  oversight,  as  the 
proportions  correspond  to  the  printed  descriptions.  In 
the  bill  of  materials  the  amount  of  flooring,  ceiling,  etc., 
as  specified,  represents  only  the  surface  to  be 
covered,  and  about  one-fourth  should  be  added 
to  the  estimates  to  cover  matching  and  other 
shrinkage. 

The  original  house  built  as  here  described  was 
found  to  be  too  warm  wh-en  all  the  incubators 
were  running  and  it  is  necessary  to  keep  the 
windows  open  most  of  the  time.  It  also  was  nec- 
essary to  install  a  King  ventilating  system  (see 
page  23)  to  carry  off  the  lamp  fumes  and  ke«p 
the  air  fresh  and  pure.  With  this  change  the 
house  gives  good  satisfaction  and  certairJy  is 
more  convenient  than  a  cellar. 

In  considering  this  plan  it  should  be  remem- 
bered that  the  climate  of  Western  Washington 
is  comparatively  mild  and  less  provision  need  be 
made  for  warmth  than  will  be  found  necessary  in 
many  sections  of  the  country.  The  plan  of  hav- 
ing the  entrance  door  on  the  north  side  is  de- 
sirable in  warm  climates,  but  where  severe  win- 
ters are  the  rule  it  will  be  better  to  have  it  on 
the  south  side.  Under  such  conditions  also, 
building  the  house  with  a  single  board  floor  will 
not  be  satisfactory.  If  a  board  floor  is  used  at 
all,  it  should  be  doubled,  with  heavy  insulating 
material  between  top  floor  and  sub-floor,  and  the  space 
between  floor  and  ground  should  be  tightly  enclosed  by 
banking  up  around  the  building  with  earth.  A  concrete 
floor  will  be  much  better  for  use  in  cold  climates,  and 
probably  will  be  no  more  expensive. 

MAMMOTH  INCUBATOR  HOUSES 

Houses  for  "Mammoths"  Should   Be  Planned  Expressly 

for  the  Type  of  Machine  That  is  to  Be 

Installed  in  Them. 

Sectional,  hot  water  heated  incubators,  commonly 
called  "mammoths",  have  come  into  extensive  use  in  all 
parts  of  the  country  in  recent  years.  These  machines 
make  it  possible  to  reduce  the  labor  cost  of  operating  incu- 
bators, which  is  a  serious  item  where  tens  and  even  hun- 
dreds of  thousands  of  eggs  are  incubated  at  one  time. 
Small-sized  mammoths,  that  is,  machines  consisting  of 
only  a  few  sections,  may.  be  successfully  installed  in  any 
large  cellar,  and  where  the  method  of  construction  or 
heating  permits,  the  sections  may  be  carried  around 
corners  or  arranged  in  two  or  more  rows,  facing  each 
other,  or  back  to  back,  thus  making  it  possible  to  install 
such  machines  when  the  cellar  is  not  long  enough  to  take 
all  the  sections  in. one  straight  line. 


82 


POULTRY  HOUSES  AND  FIXTURES 
76'°" 


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FIG.   159 — FLOOR   PLAN   OF  BROODER  ROOM  IN   COMBINATION   INCUBATOR    AND   BROODER   HOUSE 


As  the  manufacturers  of  the  various  mammoths  on  the 
market  usually  supply  incubator  house  plans  free  of  charge 
to  their  customers,  it  is  not  necessary  to  show  detailed 
drawings  here.  However,  the  requirements  of  mammoth 
incubators  generally  do  not  vary  in  any  essential  respect 
from  lamp-heated  machines.  The  house  illustrated  in 
Figs.  153  to  156,  with  its  dimensions  modified  to  adapt  it 
to  the  kind  and  size  of  incubators  to  be  installed,  will 
prove  just  as  satisfactory  for  mammoths  as  for  small 
machines.  There  is  no  better  means  of  ventilating  any 
incubator  cellar  than  by  providing  a  suitable  number  of 
ventilating  flues,  installed  as  shown  in  Fig.  153.  By 
means  of  these,  fresh  air  is  discharged  into  the  room  at 
the  floor  level  and  the  foul  air  is  discharged  through  ad- 
justable window  openings  near  the  ceiling. 

As  most  of  the  work  of  filling  sections,  testing  eggs, 
etc.,  usually  is  done  right  in  front  of  the  machine,  it  is 
especially  convenient  to  have  good,  wide  passageways  so 
there  will  be  no  interference  with  the  work.  A  large 
work  table  on  small  rubber-tired  wheels  will  prove  a  great 
time  and  labor  saver.  It  also  is  desirable  to  have  a  room 
at  the  front  of  the  building  where  eggs  for  hatching  can 
be  stored;  also  various  articles  of  equipment  that  will  be 
needed  in  the  regular  daily  care  of  the  machine.  This 
should  be  partitioned  off  from  the  hatching  room  proper, 
so  that  the  temperature  can  be  icgulated  as  desired. 


FIG.    160— COMBINATION   INCUBATOR   AND    BROODER    HOUSE 
Photo   from   R.   H.   Loveland. 


COMBINATION   INCUBATOR   AND    BROODER 

HOUSE 
A  Good  Way  to  Build  Where  Chicks  Are  Raised  in 

Large  Numbers. 

The  combination  of  incubator  cellar  and  brooder 
house  is  one  that  is  popular  with  many,  as  it  brings  all 
the  hatching  and. brooding  work  under  one  roof.  The 
house  shown  in  Fig.  160  is  of  this  type.  It  is  in  regular  use 
on  the  Fishing  Creek  Poultry  Farm  (Penna.),  of  which 
R.  H.  Loveland  is  pioprietor.  This  house  is  25x76  feet, 
the  basement  is  substantially  constructed,  with  concrete 
walls,  and  extends  sufficiently  above  the  ground  level  so 
that  it  is  well  lighted  and  ventilated.  The  cellar  is  en- 
tered through  an  enclosed  vestibule  and  contains  three 
10,000  egg  machines  (one  single  and  two  double-decked). 
The  upper  part  of  the  house  is  used  as  a  nursery  for 
chicks,  where  they  have  comfortable,  convenient  quarters 
and  where  they  remain  until  they  are  sold  or  have  passed 
the  danger  point,  when  they  are  placed  out  on  range. 

The  brooder  room  is  equipped  with  a  water-boiler, 
the  heating  system  consisting  of  six  l^-inch  overhead 
hover  pipes  running  the  entire  length  of  the  house.  These 
are  enclosed  in  a  brooding-box  18  inches  high  and  Zl/2  feet 
wide,  with  a  curtain  along  the  front,  or  the  side  next  to 
the  runs.  The  flow  pipes  are  next  to  the  passageway  and 
the  return  pipes  next  to  the  hover  curtain,  which  gives  a 
range  of  about  10  degrees  under  the 
hover,  enabling  the  chicks  to  find 
just  the  temperature  that  suits  them. 
The  heat  is  maintained  at  about  100 
degrees  in  the  warmest  part  under 
the  hover,  for  newly  hatched  chicks, 
but  close  to  the  curtain  it  is  not  more 
than  85  to  90.  The  floor  plan  of  this 
brooding  room  is  shown  in  Fig.  159. 
from  which  it  will  be  seen  that  the 
house  pens  are  6x17^  feet,  affording 
room  for  300  chicks  in  each,  though 
400  may  be  accommodated  when  nec- 
essary. The  chicks  are  kept  in  this 
brooder  room  about  three  weeks, 
after  which  they  are  moved  to  colony 
houses,  so  that  they  can  get  out  on 
the  ground.  As  this  building  is  lo- 
cated it  is  not  possible  to  have  out- 
door runs  attached  to  it. 

In  many  respects  this  is  an  ideal 
way  in  which  to  handle  chicks  in  large 
numbers,  for  the  first  three  or  four 
weeks  of  their  lives. 


CHAPTER   IX 


Administration  and  Other  Special  Buildings 

Large  Poultry  Plants  Need  Various  Special  Purpose  Buildings  for  Handling  the  Work  Efficiently — This  Chapter  Illus- 
trates and  Describes  a  Complete  Administration  Building  With  Fattening  Shed;  Also,  Cockerel  and  Condi- 
tioning House,  Fattening  Crates  and  Batteries,  Manure  Shed,  Etc. — Instructions  for  Equip- 
ping the  Feed  House  With  Labor-Saving  Conveniences. 


o 


X  poultry  farms  of  small  size  it  generally  will  be 
found  more  economical,  and  more  convenient  as 
well,  to  provide  suitable  storage  room  for  feed, 
equipment,  etc.,  in  the  barn,  as  suggested  on  page 
9.  On  large  plants,  however,  it  is  desirable  to  have 
a  special  house  for  this  purpose,  usually  building  it  in 
connection  with  laying  pens,  or  as  a  part  of  a  general  ad- 
ministration building,  such  as  is  illustrated  and  described 
elsewhere  in  this  chapter.  Wherever  the  feed  room  is 
built,  it  should  be  suitably  provided  with  labor-saving 
appliances,  convenient  feed  bins,  etc. 

Combination  Laying  and  Feed  House 

The  combination  laying  and  feed  house  shown  in 
Fig.  161  has  been  in  successful  use  at  the  West  Virginia 
Experiment  Station  for  several  years,  and  has  a  number 
of  features  that  adapt  it  to  general  use.  The  feed  house 
is  placed  in  the  center  of  a  six-pen  laying  house.  It  is 
somewhat  wider  than  the  latter,  and  is  one  and  a  half 
stories  in  height,  with  a  high  gable  which  provides  a  lib- 
eral amount  of  storage  room  on  the  second  floor.  Grain, 
litter,  and  similar  materials  are  hoisted  to  the  second 
floor  by  means  of  rope  and  pulley. 

The  first  floor  of  the  feed  house  generally  can  be 
used  to  best  advantage  for  the  stoiing  of  heavy  grains, 
such  as  shelled  corn  and  wheat,  and  bone  cutters,  feed 
mills,  cooking  appliances,  feed  mixers,  etc.,  will  be  in- 
stalled here,  if  any  are  used.  Lighter  materials,  such  as 
ground  feeds,  baled  litter,  etc.,  may  be  stored  above.  A 
convenient  plan  is  to  have  bins  for  ground  grains  on  the 
second  floor,  these  bins  being  provided  with  chutes  which 
conduct  the  contents  to  the  lower  floor  where  they  may 
be  drawn  off  as  wanted.  Where  a  feed  house  is  built,  it 
is  always  desirable  to  provide  a  cellar  underneath  for 
storing  roots,  cabbage,  or  other  green  foods  for  winter 
use,  or  for  sprouting  oats.  Such  a  cellar  will  be  found 
almost  as  great  a  convenience  'as  the  house  itself.  An 
outside  door  should  be  provided  for  convenience  in  filling 
the  cellar,  and  an  inside  stairway  for  ordinary  use. 

Equipment  for  the    Feed  House 

Various  articles  of  equipment  may  be  used  in  the  feed 
house  and,  as  a  rule,  it  pays  to  provide  whatever  will  save 
time  or  labor.  As  the  requirements  of  poultry  keepers 


vary  widely  in  respect  to  these,  and  as  such  equipment 
usually  is  purchased  piece  by  piece  as  the  need  for  it  be- 
comes apparent,  it  is  not  practicable  to  furnish  an  item- 
ized list  of  needed  appliances,  further  than  to  mention  the 
few  that  should  be  in  every  feed  house,  large  or  small. 

For  mixing  quantities  of  feed  on  the  floor  of  the 
house,  nothing  is  better  than  a  medium-sized  scoop 
shovel.  For  small  quantities  of  mash,  wet  or  dry,  a  mix- 
ing box  should  be  provided.  This  should  be  made  of 
hard,  closely-grained  wood  that  will  not  readily  absorb 
moisture.  The  boards  for  the  floor  of  the  box  should  be 
selected  with  care,  choosing  those  that  are  edge-grained 
rather  than  flat-grained,  as  the  latter  are  apt  to  become 
splintered  and  rough  after  they  have  been  in  use  for  a 
short  time.  This  mixing  box  should  be  about  two  feet 
wide  and  should  have  straight  sides  twelve  inches  high, 
with  the  ends  sets  sloping.  It  is  not  easy  to  mix  feed 
in  boxes  with  square  ends.  For  mixing  wet  mashes  a 
large  garden  hoe  and  an  ordinary  dirt  shovel  or  a  spade 
will  be  found  serviceable.  One  or  more  galvanized 
bushel  baskets  and  a  few  12  to  16-inch  galvanized  pails 
are  needed  on  every  poultry  plant. 

Where  corn  is  bought  on  the  ear,  it  usually  is  desir- 
able to  have  a  corn  shelter,  and  where  fresh  meat  or 
butchers'  scraps  can  be  secured  to  good  advantage,  a  bone 
cutter  becomes  a  necessity.  There  are  few  cases  in 
which  the  poultryman  can  crack  and  grind  his  feeds  as 
cheaply  as  he  can  buy  them  at  the  feed  mill  or  store,  but 
a  small  mill  for  preparing  special  feeds  often  proves  a 
convenience  and  a  time-saver.  In  all  cases  where  home 
mixtures  are  prepared,  or  where  feed  is  ground  at  local 
mills,  some  means  of  sifting  should  be  provided.  The 
use  of  unsifted  cracked  grain,  in  particular,  is  a  wasteful 
practice. 

There  are  a  variety  of  uses  to  which  a  good  feed 
cooker  can  be  put,  such  as  cooking  vegetables,  steaming 
clover,  etc.;  also  for  providing  hot  water  to  meet  the 
numerous  requirements  of  the  average  poultry  plant  in 
wintertime.  While  somewhat  more  expensive  than  the 
ordinary  sheet-metal  feed  cooker,  a  small  boiler  that  will 
furnish  steam  for  cooking,  heating  water,  etc.,  will  be 
found  much  more  convenient  in  the  long  run. 

Plenty  of  well-constructed  bins  should  be  provided  in 


FIG.     161— COMBINATION     FEED    AND     LAYING    HOUSE     AT     WEST    VIRGINIA   EXPERIMENT   STATION 


83 


84 


POULTRY  HOUSES  AND  FIXTURES 


FIG.     162 — CONVENIENT    BINS    IN    FEED    HOUSE 

Above  illustration  shows  a  convenient  arrangement 
of  feed  bins,  which  in  this  case  are  built  with  a  6-inch 
space  between  bins  and  floor  and  walls,  to  allow  cir- 
culation of  air.  Illustration  shows  two  bins  with  the 
fronts  down  for  filling  and  two  with  receiving  boxes  in 
place,  ready  for  shovelling  out  feed. 

the  feed  house,  and  these  should  be  large  enough  to  ••jr-eet 
all  probable  requirements  without  carrying  the  sides  too 
high.  It  should  not  be  necessary  to  have  to  lift  grain 
bags  more  than  shoulder  high  in  order  to  empty  them. 

The  plan  of  having  bins  for  ground  grains  on  the  sec- 
ond floor,  with  chutes  to  conduct  contents  to  the  feed- 
mixing  room  on  the  ground  floor,  has  already  been  sug- 
gested. Wherever  the  bins  are  located,  they  should  be 


made  thoroughly  tight  on  all  sides,  using  well-seasoned 
T.  &  G.  boards.  Lumber  should  be  used  that  is  not  liable 
to  split,  as  it  is  necessary  to  use  large-sized  nails  and  a 
good  many  of  them  to  make  these  partitions  strong 
enough  to  withstand  the  heavy  pressure  to  which  they 
will  be  subjected.  Bin  fronts  should  consist  of  loose 
boards  sliding  in  a  groove  so  that  they  can  readily  be  re- 
moved and  replaced  for  ease  in  filling  and  emptying.  The 
bottom  board  in  the  front  should  have  a  sliding  door 
large  enough  to  admit  a  scoop  shovel.  It  is  easier  to 
shovel  from  the  bottom  of  the  bin  than  to  lift  the  feed 
out  over  a  high  partition.  See  that  the  boards  forming 
the  floor  of  the  bin  run  from  front  to  back,  instead  of 
from  side  to  side,  for  convenience  in  shoveling. 

Another  way  of  arranging  feed  bins  is  shown  in  Fig. 
162.  Here  the  bins  are  built  independently  of  the  house, 
with  a  6-inch  air  space  between  floors  and  walls  to  pro- 
tect contents  from  dampness.  The  bins  can  be  filled  from 
the  top,  which  is  hinged,  and  the  fronts  also  are  made 
with  an  upper  hinged  section  to  be  let  down  for  greater 
ease  in  filling.  A  receiving  box  is  provided  so  that  when 
door  at  bottom  of  bin  is  opened  the  contents  will  not 
run  out  on  the  floor.  This  box  is  so  made  that  it  can  be 
pushed  back  under  the  bin  floor,  out  of  the  way,  when 
not  needed. 

It  is  always  desirable  to  make  the  feed  room  of  am- 
ple dimensions,  as  it  frequently  is  necessary  to  spread 
new  grain  or  damp  feed  of  any  kind  loosely  on  the  floor, 
rather  than  to  put  it  in  bins  where  it  will  quickly  heat 
and  mold.  This  is  particularly  true  in  the  case  of  corn 
meal  and  new  shelled  or  cracked  corn,  which  can  seldom 
be  placed  in  large  bins  with  safety.  For  storing  ear  corn 
in  the  fall  it  is  desirable  to  have  a  ventilated  crib  of  slats 
or  wire  screen  so  that  air  can  circulate  through  it.  If  it 
is  to  be  stored  in  a  feed  house  or  a  limited  supply  kept 
for  immediate  use  in  the  poultry  house,  the  sides  of  the 
bin  should  be  made  of  wire  screen  or  1-inch  mesh  poultry 
netting,  rather  than  of  tight  boards. 

ADMINISTRATION  BUILDING  FOR  LARGE 

PLANTS 

Large  Plants  Need  a  House  Like  This  One  Where  Much 
of  the  Daily  Work  Can  Be  Performed  Under 

One  Roof. 

The  house  plans  illustrated  and  described  in  the  pre- 
ceding pages,  cover  all  practical  requirements  of  the  aver- 
age poultry  plant,  large  or  small,  as  regards  accommoda- 


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FIG.    163— FIRST    FLOOR    PLAN    IN    ADMINISTRATION    BUILDING 


ADMINISTRATION  AND  OTHER  SPECIAL   BUILDINGS 


85 


tions  for  brooder  chicks,  laying 
flocks,  breeding  pens,  etc.  There  are 
few  large  poultry  farms,  however, 
that  do  not  require  a  large,  central- 
ly located  house  where  feeds  and 
miscellaneous  supplies  can  be  stored 
and  in  or  about  which  can  conveni- 
ently be  grouped  facilities  that  are 
necessary  for  efficiently  administer- 
ing the  work  of  the  farm.  Generally 
such  a  building  should  be  planned  on 
a  sufficiently  large  scale  to  provide 
ample  storage  on  the  ground  floor, 
with  a  room  for  killing  and  dressing 
table  fowls.  A  basement  will  afford 
room  for  incubators  at  much  less 
than  the  construction  of  a  sepa- 
rate building  for  this  special  purpose. 
A  second  floor  will  provide  comfort- 
able quarters  for  one  or  more  of  the 
men  employed  on  the  place,  and  an 
extension  may  be  added  on  one  side 
for  a  long  brooder  house  to  be 
equipped  with  lamp-heated  hovers, 
colony  hovers  or  a  hot-water  pipe 
brooding  system.  On  the  other  side 
an  extension  for  crate  feeding  table 
fowls  will  be  found  most  convenient 
when  these  are  to  be  produced  in 
considerable  .numbers. 

Such    an    administration     house     is 
illustrated  and  described  on  this  and 


FIG.   164 — CELLAR  FLOOR   PLAN  IN  ADMINISTRATION  BUILDING 


following  pages.  It  is  large  enough  to  meet  the  require- 
ments of  quite  an  extensive  farm  and  needs  only  to  be 
reduced  proportionately  all  round  to  adapt  it  to  a  much 
smaller  place.  Any  competent  carpenter  will  be  able 


readily  to  make   the   needed   changes   and   adapt   the   bill 
of  materials  to  les  er  proportions. 

Fig.  164  give/!  the  floor  plan  of  the  incubator  cellar 
which  is  large  enough  to  accommodate  20  to  30  large- 
sized  lamp-heate,  .  incubators,  or  two  mammoths  if  they 
are  preferred.  '  Vhere  extra-large  hatching  capacity  is 
required,  th^  cellar  can  be  extended  under  the  fattening 
room,  thus  doubling  its  size.  The  ventilation  of  this  cellar 
is  not  indicated  in  drawing  but  the  plan  shown  on  page 
79  should  be  followed.  Build  the  intake  flues  into  the 
concrece  or  stone  foundation  wall,  however,  thus  mak- 
ing them  practically  indestructible.  Where  there  is  no 
sewerage  system  available  it  will  be  necessary  to  provide 
a  cesspool  or  septic  tank  outside  the  building  to  take 
the  waste  from  the  killing  room,  men's  toilet,  etc.,  and 


FIG.165— SIDE    ELEVATION    OF    ADMINISTRATION    BUILDING    FOR    LARGE     POULTRY  FARM 


86 


POULTRY  HOUSES  AND  FIXTURES 


suitable  drainage  should  be  provided 
for  the  cellar,  which  should  have  con- 
veniently located  traps  in  the  floor. 

The  cellar  is  reached  by  means  ot 
outside  steps  to  be  covered  by  slop- 
ing doors,  also  by  an  inside  stairway. 
The  outside  steps  will  be  used  main-  -, 
ly  in  carrying  incubators  into  the 
cellar  or  in  filling  it  with  root  crops, 
etc.,  for  winter  storage.  The  inside 
stairway  will  be  used  in  the  daily 
work,  being  more  convenient. 

Fig.  163  shows  the  floor  plan  of 
the  ground  floor  with  feed  room, 
killing  room  and  fattening  shed.  The 
general  details  of  the  fittings  for  this 
floor  are  indicated,  but  no  attempt 
has  been  made  to  specify  plumbing, 
location  and  size  of  grain  bins,  etc., 
as  these  features  will  have  to  be  adapted  to  individual 
requirements. 

The  refrigerator  room  will  be  found  convenient  for  a 


i?oop  over? 

FATTENING    R°< 


FIG.    167 — END   ELEVATION   OF   ADMINISTRATION   BUILDING 
FOR   LARGE   POULTRY    FARM 


number  of  purposes.  In  northern  climates,  by  properly 
adjusting  the  outside  icing  door,  the  room  may  be  kept 
at  a  low  temperature  several  months  of  the  year  without 
using  any  ice  and  without  affecting  the  temperature  of 


FIG.   166 — SECOND   FLOOR   PLAN   IN  ADMINISTRATION   BUILDING 


the  rest  of  the  house.  Double  walls  are  provided,  the 
space  between  them  being  filled  with  dry  sawdust  or 
other  suitable  insulating  material.  Where  table  fowls  are 
to  -form  an  important  part  of  the  farm  sales  this 
refrigerator  will  pay  for  itself  in  a  short  time. 

The  convenience  of  having  a  fattening  room 
in  connection  with  the  house  will  be  appreciated. 
This  room,  built  20x30  feet,  will  provide  for  52 
fattening  crates  in  two  tiers,  with  a  total  capac- 
ity of  from  600  to  900  fowls  at  one  time,  depend- 
ing on  their  size.  Detail  drawings  for  the  con- 
struction of  fattening  crates  are  shown  in  Figs. 
168,  169  and  172.  Where  a  smaller  capacity 
will  be  sufficient  and  where  more  room  is  wanted 
for  feed  storage,  the  killing  room  may  be  shifted 
from  the  main  building  to  the  fattening  shed. 

Fig.  174  shows  a  cross  section  of  the  fatten- 
ing shed  with  special  ventilation.  As  the  space 
between  ceiling  and  roof  is  high  enough  for  a 
man  to  stand  upright  when  under  the  ridge,  it 
is  planned  to  provide  a  rough  floor  so  that  this 
space  may  be  used  for  storage  of  coops,  brood- 
ers, etc.  With  a  large  outside  do'or  in  the  gable 
^  wiM  be  easy  to  unload  from  a  wagon  into  this 
space  with  or  without  rope  and  pulley. 

The  wooden  fattening  crates  indicated  in  this 
plan  are  easily  and  cheaply  made  and  a  full  de- 
scription of  them,  with  bill  of  materials,  is  given 
on  page  87.  Under  many  conditions,  however, 
the  portable  feeding  batteries  illustrated  on  page 
87,  which  may  be  purchased  ready-made,  will 
be  found  more  convenient  than  any  form  of  sta- 
tionary crate.  They  give  greater  capacity  in  pro- 
portion to  floor  space  occupied,  and  as  they  can 
be  wheeled  about  wherever  wanted,  they  save 
much  labor. 

For  plans  suitable  for  a  brooder  house  extension  to 
be  built  in  connection  with  this  administration  house,  see 
Chapter  VII. 

Fig.  166  gives  the  floor  plan  of  the  second  floor  to 
be  utilized  regularly  as  a  man's  room.  If  not  wanted  for 


in   i-i  I 


TROUT  OF  FATTENI/iG  CffAT£       FEED  TFt°UGH  QUITTED 

FIG.  168— FRONT  OF  FATTENING  CRATE 


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WY  1"  MESH 
TTIHG 

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Fl°°RPLAH°F 

FArrWHGCfwrE  „ 

i                          •     : 

Fi.°°f7  "F  J"H°°D£N 
STRIPS               a 

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FIG.  169 — FLOOR  OF  FATTENING  CRATE 


ADMINISTRATION  AND  OTHER  SPECIAL   BUILDINGS 


87 


this  purpose  it  will  be  found  convenient  for  general  stor- 
age of  grain  or  equipment.  In  this  case  a  large  outside 
door  should  be  provided  with  an  overhead  pulley  for 
handling  heavy  articles. 

The  following  bill  of  materials  provides  for  this 
house  complete,  as  shown  in  plans,  except  plumbing,  etc. 
See  foot  of  page  for  bill  of  materials  for  fattening  crates. 

BILL.    OF    MATERIALS    FOK    ADMINISTRATION    HOUSE 
FOR  LARGE  POULTRY  FARM 


U»e 


Size  Length   No.  of 

Inches  Feet      Pieces 


Sills,    sides   2x8 

Sills,   ends  2x8 

Girder  4x8 

Cellar    dr.    and    window 

frames  2x8 

I'laies    and    stringers....   2x4 

Studs,    main    floor 4x4 

Studs,    fattening   room..   2x4 

Studs,   second  floor 2x4 

Joists,    main   floor 2x8 

Joists,  fattening  room..  2x8 

Joists,    2nd    floor 2x8 

Joists,    fattening    room, 

overhead    2x6 

Joists,  2nd  floor,  over'd   2x6 

Rafters   2x6 

Rafter    braces    1x6 

Bridging    1x2 

Roof   boards   1x10 

Overhead     flooring      in 

fattening  shed   1x10 

T   &   G  siding %x6 

Ceiling  %  x4 

Flooring  %x4 


10 
10 
10 

10 

10 

10 

'8 

8 

10 
10 
10 

10 

20 
14 


24 
12 
12 

30 
70 
100 
40 
50 
40 
30 
30 

30 
10 
62 


250  lin.  ft. 
800  lin.  ft. 
2000  ft.  bd.  meas.     Surfaced 


650  ft.  bd.  meas. 
3000  ft.  bd.  meas. 
6000  ft.  bd.  meas. 
1500  ft.  bd.  meas. 

13   window    frames    2   feet  8   inches  by  5   feet  4   inches 

6   door    frames    2   feet  8   inches  by  6   feet  4   inches 

3   door    frames    2   feet  8   inches  by  6   feet   4  inches 

6   panel    doors    2  feet  8   inches  by  6   feet  4  inches 

3  panel   doors  2   feet   6   inches  by   6   feet   4   inches 

13   2-sash   windows,    4-light,    14x28-inch    glass. 

2   4-light    sashes,    10xl2-inch    glass. 

4  6-light    sashes,    12xl4-inch    glass. 

Stair   boards    %xlO          200  lin.   ft.          Surfaced 

Stair    boards    %x8  150   lin.   ft.          Surfaced 

Trim    boards   %x4  500  lin.   ft.          Surfaced 

Barge    boards    %x6  500  lin.   ft.          Surfaced 

16M.   shingles. 

9   pr.   4-inch   butt  hinges. 
26  pr.    window   bolts. 

2   pr.    galvanized   strap   hinges   for  refrigerator. 
2  pr.   8-inch   T-strap   hinges   for  cellar  door. 
2   pr.    4-inch    strap   hinges   for   attic   doors. 
6   rim    locks. 
2  hasps. 

1500  bricks  for  flue. 
Plumbing:. 
Nails   and   paint. 


MATERIALS   FOR   FOUNDATION    AND   FLOORS 

325   bags    Portland    cement. 

750   cu.   ft.   sand. 

1400   cu.    ft.    crushed   stone   or   gravel. 

400   cu.  ft.  stone  or  gravel  for  drainage  and  insulation. 


FIG.     171 — WOODEN    FATTENING    CRATE    WITH 
METAL,  FEED  TROUGH 

FATTENING  CRATES 

Suitable  Crates  Are  Indispensable  for  Fattening  Market 

Fowls.     Different  Kinds  in  Use  and  Practical 

Plans  for  Building. 

In  finishing  special-quality  table  fowls,  fattening 
crates  are  of  great  value.  Their  use  enables  the  poultry- 
man  to  keep  the  birds  under  most  favorable  conditions 
and  to  feed  them  heavily  on  suitable  fattening  rations, 
while  close  confinement  softens  the  flesh  as  nothing  else 
can  do. 

It  is  possible  to  get  fairly  good  results  with  what  is 
known  as  the  pen-fattening  method,  in  which  small  flocks 
are  kept  confined  to  indoor  pens  and  fed  the  same  fatten- 
ing rations  as  are  used  in  crate  feeding.  The  use  of 
crates,  however, 
economizes  room, 
reduces  labor,  and 
produces  quicker 
and  larger  gains 
and  better  quality. 
It  is  for  this  rea- 
son that  commer- 
cial poultry  feed- 
ing plants  use 
crates  almost  ex- 
clusively. 

Different     stvles 


T°P  COVERED   H/TH 
I 


FIG.    172 — CROSS  SECTION  OF 
FATTENING    CRATE 


FIG.    170— CIXTEEN-COMPARTMENT    PORTABLE 
FEEDING   BATTERY 


of  fattening  crates  are  in  use  but  they  all  adhere  to  one 
general  type  which  experience  has  shown  to  be  the  best 
and  most  practical. 

MATERIALS    REQUIRED   FOR   ONE   THREE-COMPART- 
MENT FATTENING  CRATE 

%x3-inch   boards  for  frame  50  lin.   feet 

%x%-inch  strips  for  front  50  lin.   feet 

%x%-inch  strips  for  bottom  42  lin.  feet 

%x3-inch   board   for  inside   of   trough 6  lin.  feet 

%x4-inch   board   for  outside  of  trough 6  lin.  feet 

28    sq.    ft.    of    1-inch    mesh    netting    for    top,    back,    ends    and 

nartitions. 
Nails  and   double-pointed   tacks. 

The  crate  shown  in  Figs.  168,  169  and  172  is  the  kind 
used  in  equipping  the  fattening  shed  previously  de- 
scribed. It  is  easily  and  cheaply  made.  The  floor  may 
be  of  1-in.  wooden  strip-s  or  1-in.  wire  netting,  and  the 
ends,  back  and  top  may  be  covered  with  poultry  netting 
instead  of  wood  strips,  if  preferred.  Fig.  171  shows 
a  three-pen  crate  of  similar  construction  but  with  a  trough 
of  galvanized  iron,  consisting  of  a  suitable  length  of  ordi- 
nary 3  or  4-inch  eave  troughing.  Metal  troughs  are  easily 
made  and  kept  in  sanitary  condition,  but  where  a  large 


POULTRY  HOUSES  AND  FIXTURES 


number  of  fowls  are  to  be  fed,  the 
noise  which  they  make  when  all  the 
birds  are  feeding  at  one  time  is  often 
considered  objectionable  as  it  is  lia- 
ble to  cause  disturbance  among  the 
fowls. 

Fattening  crates  do  not  have  to  be 
located  in  a  house  but  may  be  kept 
in  any  sort  of  shed  or,  in  mild 
weather,  may  be  placed  outdoors  in 
the  shade  in  any  convenient,  quiet 
spot.  It  is  only  necessary  to  throw 
a  couple  of  boards  or  a  strip  of  roof- 
ing over  the  top  to  keep  the  rain  out, 
in  order  to  make  the  birds  comfort- 
able. 

Where  fowls  are  to  be  fattened  in 
large  numbers  the  use  of  portable 
feeding  batteries,  which  can  be 
bought  ready-made,  is  recommended. 
A  battery  consists  of  8  to  16  separ- 
ate compartments,  each  holding  sev- 
eral fowls.  They  usually  are  made 
with  woven-wire  floors  and  with 
droppings  pans  under  each  compart- 
ment, so  arranged  that  they  may  be 
removed  easily  for  cleaning.  Each 
battery  rests  on  castors  or  small 
wheels,  by  means  of  which  it  may 
readily  be  moved  wherever  wanted. 

The  battery  shown  in  Fig.  170  has  a  double  tier  of 
coops  containing  16  compartments  in  all,  and  is  capable  of 
accommodating  in  the  neighborhood  of  100  fowls — mere 
than  that  number  if  small,  and  less  if  full  grown.  The 
feeding  troughs  with  this  battery  are  of  galvanized  iron 
and  the  floors  are  of  wire,  which  offers  no  chance  for  the 
droppings  to  stick  to  the  feet  of  the  fowls.  The  drop- 
pings trays  are  of  wood. 

A  COCKEREL  HOUSE 

A  House  for  Surplus  Cockerels  and  for  Wintering  Breed- 
ing   Males.      Convenient    Conditioning    Room, 
For  Fitting  Exhibition  Fowls. 

Where  fowls  are  bred  in  large  numbers,  there  is 
always  need  for  a  building  in  which  the  surplus  males 

may  be  kept  when 
not  wanted  in  the 
breeding  pens, 
where  exhibition 
birds  may  be  fitted 
and  trained,  and 
where  fowls  of  any 
sort  may  be  cooped 
individually  when  it 
is  desirable  to  do 
so.  Plans  for  such 
a  house  are  shown 
in  Figs.  176  and 
177.  This  house  is 
13x60  feet  in  the 
clear  and  provides 
room  for  120  indi- 
vidual coops,  each 
1  foot,  8  inches  by 
3  feet,  and  2  feet  2 
inches  high.  Coops 

FIG.    173 — INTERIOR   OF   COCK-         °*    *    1S     S1Ze      a"orc' 
EREL  HOUSE  ample  room  for  sin- 


FIG.   174 — CROSS  SECTION  OF  FATTENING  SHED  IN  ADMINISTRA- 
TION  BUILDING 


gle  individuals,  or  for  two  or  three  small  or  medium  sized 
birds  for  a  short  time,  if  they  get  along  peaceably  to- 
gether. In  addition  to  the  coops  there  is  a  conditioning 
room  at  one  end  of  the  building  and  room  at  each  end  of 
the  cooping  room  for  storage  of  food,  litter,  etc. 

Fig.  176  shows  the  floor  plan  of  the  building.  The 
provision  for  17  2-sash  windows  may  seem  excessive  but 
it  must  be  remembered  that  much  more  window  surface  is 
required  to  light  numerous  small  pens  than  would  be 
needed  for  one  large  open  room. 

Pen  floors  and  partitions  are  to  be  of  tongue-and- 
groove  ceiling  boards  nailed  to  J^x2-in.  strips  as  shown  in 
cross  section.  The  pen  fronts  are  to  be  of  a  good  grade 
of  wire  fencing  with  the  upright  wires  spaced  about  two 
inches  apart  and  the  joints  welded  or  fastened  with  wire 
locks  so  that  there  will  be  no  sharp  wire  ends  to  injure 
combs  or  cut  neck  feathers.  The  pen  doors  are  of  the 
same  material  and  arranged  as  in  Fig.  175,  which  makes 
their  construction  quite  simple.  Fig.  173  is  from  a  photo- 
graph of  a  house  built  in  accordance  with  this  plan  but 
considerably  larger 
than  the  one  shown 
in  the  drawing.  In 
cold  climates  this 
house  should  be 
built  with  double 
walls,  the  inside 
wall  being  of 
tongue  -  and  -groove 
ceiling  and  warmly 
constructed  through- 
out. In  most  in- 
stances a  concrete 
floor  should  be  pro- 
vided, but  the  lower 
pens  should  have 
board  floors,  laid  on 
1-inch  furring  to 
make  an  air  space 


• 

r 

\ 

f 

\ 

^ 

'If- 

.£ 

0 

00 

/? 

IM 

//t 

£ 

P 

?t 

/Y- 

eL'/i  'Facing  All  ground.     '_   '_     "^ 

FIG.    175— PEN    FRONT    IN    COCK- 
EREL, HOUSE 


ADMINISTRATION  AND  OTHER  SPECIAL   BUILDINGS 


89 


FIG.   176— FLOOR  PLAN  OF  COCKEREL  HOUSE 
between  concrete  and   pen  floors.     The   following  is  the  A  DRYING  COOP 


Length 

No.  of                 Remarl 

Keet 

Pieces 

10 

12 

14 

2 

10 

12 

10 

34 

12 

17     1  piece  cuts 

2. 

10 

45     Cut  to  fit. 

16 

30 

10  6 

1100  ft.  bd.  meas. 

1500  ft.  bd.  meas 

3500  ft.  bd.  meas. 


Surfaced. 


bill  of  materials  required  for  this  cockerel  house. 

BILL    OF   3IATERIALS    FOR   COCKEREL    HOUSE 

Use  Slze 

Inches 

Sills,    sides    2x4 

Sills,    ends    2x4 

Plates    2x4 

Stuas,    front    2x4 

Studs,    rear   2x4 

Studs,   ends    &   misc...   2x4 

Rafters    2x6 

Window    and    door 

sills    2x6 

Roof    boards    1x10 

T   &   G  siding  %x6 

Ceiling   %x4 

Flooring   for   pens, 

doors,    etc.  -. %x4 

Furring   for   floors 

of  bottom  pens..%x2 
Ceiling   boards    for 

parts  %x4 

Door   and     window 

frames   %x5 

Strips      base     of 

windows    %x4 

Weather    strips %x% 

Trim    boards   for 

partition  fronts.. %x2% 
12   squares    prepared    roofing. 
12   squares   sheathing   paper. 
17   2-sash    windows,    12-light,    10xl2-inch    glass. 
420   sq.  ft.   heavy  wire   fencing,   for  pen   fronts. 
12   anchor    bolts,    %x!2-inch,    with    2-inch    washers. 
3   pr.    8-inch   T-strap   hinges. 
2   hasps. 

17   pr.    2-inch   butt  hinges   for   top   sash. 
Plumbing   for   washing   room. 
Nails,    double-pointed    tacks   and    paint. 

MATERIALS    FOR    FOUNDATION    AND    FLOOR 

90   bags   Portland   cement. 
200   cu.   ft.   of  sand. 
350   cu.    ft.    crushed   stone   or   gravel. 
200   cu.    ft.    crushed    stone    or   gravel   for   filling. 


1200  ft.  bd.  meas. 

275  lin.  ft.     Surfaced. 
1600   ft.  bd.  meas. 

300  lin.  ft.  Surfaced    4    sides. 


75  lin.  ft.  Surfaced    4 
100  lin.   ft.  Surfaced    4 


sides, 
sides. 


600  lin.   ft.  Surfaced    4    sides. 


Will  Pay  for  Itself  in  a  Season  if  Many  Fowls  Are  to 

Be  Fitted  for  Exhibition.     Can  Be  Equipped 

for  Oil  Heater. 

The  specially  constructed  drying  coop  shown  in  Fig. 
178  is  a  most  convenient  piece  of  equipment  for  the  con- 


jConcrey-e  F/oor 
FIG.    177— CROSS   SECTION   OF   COCKEREL  HOUSE 


FIG.    178— DRYING   COOP  USED   IN   FITTING  FOWLS 
FOR  SHOW  ROOM 

ditioning  house.  The  size  will  be  regulated  by  the  num- 
ber of  fowls  that  are  to  be  handled,  but  the  one  here 
shown  in  about  three  feet  wide, 
three  feet  deep  and  five  to  six  feet 
long.  As  will  be  seen,  it  is  warmed  by 
means  of  hot  water  pipes  in  the  bot- 
tom, the  heat  being  supplied  by  a 
small  gas  burner.  Perches  are  pro- 
vided on  which  the  fowls  perch  while 
drying  and  underneath  are  trays  for 
the  droppings.  With  the  front  cur- 
tains down  the  temperature  can  be 
quickly  raised  to  any  desired  point 
and  held  there  quite  uniformly  by  oc- 
casionally consulting  the  thermome- 
ter suspended  in  the  chamber.  Mak- 
ing use  of  a  drying  closet  like  this 
will  be  found  much  better  than  the 
laborious  method  of  fanning,  and 
bette'r  too  than  placing  the  birds  in 
an  open  coop  in  a  warm  room  and 
leaving  them  there  to  dry  out  slowly. 
When  gas  is  not  available  for  use  it 
will  not  be  difficult  to  adapt  a  good 
blue  flame  oil  burner  to  the  purpose. 


90 


POULTRY  HOUSES  AND  FIXTURES 


CONCRETE  MANURE  SHED 

Save  the  Droppings  and  Make  Them  a  Source  of 

Added  Profit. 

By    DR.    RAYMOND    PEARL,  * 

One  of  the  most  valuable  by-products  of  any  live- 
stock industry  is  the  manure.  Its  proper  care  and  use  is 
one  of  the  distinguishing  features  of  a  successful  stock 
farm.  The  high  nitrogen  content  of  poultry  droppings 
makes  them  in  certain  respects  the  most  valuable  of  farm 
manure.  At  the  same  time  this  quality  necessitates  special 
treatment  to  preserve  the  nitrogen  and  utilize  it  econom- 
ically. 

This  Station  (Maine)  recently  built  at  its  poultry 
plant  a  manure  shed  large  enough  to  accommodate  the 
droppings  from  one  thousand  adult  birds  over  a  period  of 
a  year;  also  the  droppings  collected  from  the  range  where 
three  thousand  chicks  are  annually  reared.  The  inside 
measurements  of  this  shed  are  7x12  feet.  It  is  5  feet  high 


PIG.    179 — CONCRETE   MANURE    SHED 
Photo   from   Maine   Exp.   Station. 

at  the  eaves  and  8  feet  2  inches  to  the  peak  of  the  roof. 
See  Fig.  179.  The  foundation  is  a  solid  block  of  cement 
and  rock  smoothed  off  at  the  ground  level  to  form  the 
floor.  At  the  edges  of  the  foundation  the  cement  is  con- 
tinued up  into  the  wall  forms  which  were  built  so  that 
the  walls  are  10  inches  thick  at  the  base  and  six  at  the 
top.  The  droppings  are  thrown  into  the  shed  through 
trap  doors  in  the  roof,  and  taken  out  from  one  end,  which 
is  of  removable  plank.  The  cement  wall  in  the  plank  end 
is  continued  far  enough  from  either  corner  to  provide  a 
place  for  the  slot  into  which  the  planks  are  slipped.  This 
slot  is  a  groove  two  inches  deep  and  a  little  more  than 
two  inches  wide,  and  is  formed  by  placing  an  angle  iron 
post  within  the  board  forms. 

The  gables  are  of  boards.  The  gable  at  the  open  or 
plank  end  of  the  shed  is  removable,  to  give  more  head 
room  when  shoveling  the  manure  into  carts.  It  is  held 
in  place  with  hooks.  The  roof  is  secured  to  the  walls  by 
bolts  and  rings,  as  shown  in  Fig.  179.  The  plates  and 
rafters  are  of  2x4  timbers.  Inch  boards  were  used  for 


roof  boards  and  gables.  The  roof  is  covered  with  roofing 
paper.  In  one  side  of  the  roof  are  two  trap  doors  also 
covered  with  this  roofing.  Each  of  these  doors  is  2  feet 
4  inches  by  2  feet  10  inches  and  fits  over  a  frame  in  the 
roof,  to  which  it  is  hinged  at  the  top.  The  end  of  a  lath 
is  attached  by  a  double  screweye  to  the  inside  of  each 
door  at  the  right  edge,  about  half  way  from  bottom  to 
top.  The  edge  of  this  lath  is  provided  with  notches 
which  hook  over  a  nail  on  the  inside  of  the  door  frame. 
When  hooked  this  lath  holds  the  door  open.  A  2x4 
strip  is  nailed  across  the  inside  of  each  door  frame  a  lit- 
tle more  than  half  way  from  bottom  to  top.  This  serves 
as  a  rest  for  the  basket  when  droppings  are  emptied  into 
the  shed. 

This  shed  is  placed  at  the  end  of  the  line  of  poultry 
houses  and  the  raised  walk  which  extends  along  the  en- 
tire front  of  the  houses  is  continued  past  the  shed  and 
built  on  an  incline,  so  that  at  the  end  of  the  shed  it  is 
only  1  foot  8  inches  from  the  eaves. 

HOSPITAL  FOR   SICK   FOWLS 

Every  person  who  keeps  large 
numbers  of  fowls  needs  a  special  iso- 
lated building  where  sick  or  injured 
birds  can  receive  treatment.  This 
hospital  should  be  conveniently  lo- 
cated, and  properly  equipped  for  the 
work.  Do  not  make  the  mistake  of 
selecting  some  old  building  for  this 
use  simply  because  it  is  worthless 
for  any  other  purpose.  It  is  imprac- 
tical to  bother  with  hospital  cases  at 
all,  unless  a  convenient  building  is 
provided  in  which  to  do  the  work, 
and  in  which  the  fowls  can  be  kept 
comfortable. 

Sick  or  injured  fowls  should  never 
be  penned  together  in  flocks,  but 
should  have  small  individual  coops 
similar  to  those  shown  in  the  cock- 
erel house  described  elsewhere  in 
this  chapter.  An  ideal  fowl  hospital 
can  be  provided  by  building  a  section 
of  this  cockerel  house  of  suitable 
size.  For  small  numbers  the  width 
can  be  reduced  to  about  eight  feet, 
with  coops  along  the  rear  wall  and 

across  the  ends,  but  always  leave  an  operating  room  not 
less  than  five  feet  in  width  along  the  front,  where  there 
should  be  provided  an  operating  table  and  a  set  of 
shelves  stocked  with  suitable  remedies,  disinfectants,  and 
such  other  materials  as  are  needed  in  caring  for  the  sick 
or  injured  fowls.  For  convenience  in  cleaning,  the  bottom 
bar  of  the  coop  front  should  be  two  or  three  inches  above 
the  floor  so  that  all  litter,  droppings,  etc.,  may  be  easily 
scraped  into  a  suitable  pan  or  trough  on  the  outside. 
This  opening  should  be  closed  by  a  narrow  door  to  pre- 
vent the  litter  from  being  scratched  out  by  the  fowls. 

The  hospital  building  should  have  a  concrete  floor  and. 
in  cold  climates,  should  be  double-walled  and  provided 
with  some  means  of  heating  it.  Sick  fowls  are  not 
able  to  stand  the  degree  of  cold  that  healthy  fowls  find 
entirely  comfortable,  and  if  special  treatment  is  to  be 
given,  the  operator  will  find  it  much  more  satisfactory 
to  be  able  to  warm  the  house  to  a  comfortable  temper- 
ature. 


*  Condensed   from   Maine    Station   Bulletin   No.    216. 


CHAPTER    X 


Interior  Fixtures  and  Equipment 

Practically  Everything  Needed  to  Equip  the  Poultry  House  is  Here  Illustrated  and  Described— Partitions  and  How  to 

Build  Them— Location  of  Perches  and  Nests— Various  Types  of  Nests  for  Layers— Trap  Nests  for  the 

Breeding  Pens— Feed  Troughs  and  Hoppers,  Water  Vessels,  Trolleys,  Oat  Sprouters, 

Advantages  of  Winter  Illumination— Coops  for  Broody  Hens,  Etc. 

the  event  of  its  sometime  being  overrun  with  mites — a 
condition  that  need  never  be  encountered  with  reasonable 
care.  It  is  better  to  determine  to  take  the  proper  pre- 
ventive measures  from  the  start,  and  if  that  is  done  there 
will  never  be  any  occasion  for  the  unpleasant  job  of 
emptying  the  house  out  to  fight  lice  and  mites. 


of  the  poultry  house  plans  given  in  this  book 
are  simple  and  plain  almost  to  the  point  of  bare- 
ness.  This  is  not  due  to  any  failure  to  appre- 
ciate  the  importance  of  suitable  fixtures  and 
equipment,  but  because  in  plans  intended  for  general  use 
it  is  better  to  omit  everything  that  is  not  clearly  essen- 
tial and  leave  it  to  each  individual  to  add,  from  time  to 
time,  such  labor-saving  features  as  his  own  experience 
and  his  particular  needs  indicate  will  be  necessary  or 
helpful.  About  everything  that  is  likely  to  be  required 
in  the  way  of  fixtures  and  equipment,  inside  and  out- 
side of  the  poultry  house,  will  be  found  described  and 
illustrated  in  the  following  pages,  and  it  is  a  simple 
matter  to  adapt  any  of  them  for  use  in  the  house  plans 
already  presented. 

Simplicity  in  the  poultry  house  is  desirable,  but  sim- 
plicity may  be  overdone.  It  is  well  to  recall,  now  and 
then,  that  the  house  and  its  facilities  are  provided  as  much 
for  the  convenience  of  the  attendant  as  for  the  use  of  the 
fowls,  and  anything  that  will  make  the  work  of  caring  for 
the  fowls  easier  should  by  all  means  be  installed.  Time 
and  labor-saving  equipment  about  the  poultry  plant  is  of 
the  firj.t  importance,  especially  where  fowls  are  kept  in 
large  numbers,  and  it  is  a  serious  mistake  to  fail  to  pro- 
vide anything  that  will  save  time  or  make  the  work  lighter. 
For  the  most  part,  the  equipment  of  the  poultry  house 
should  be  simply  made,  and  easily  removable  for  cleaning, 
"his  does  not  apply  to  such  fixtures  as  partitions  between 
>ens  or  along  alleyways,  which  are  properly  a  part  of  the 
louse  and  should  be  permanently  constructed.  As  a  rule, 
this  also  applies  to  the  droppings  platform  and  nest  sup- 
ports. These  can  be  made  movable,  but  it  is  simpler  and 
easier  to  fasten  them  in  place.  If  the  house  becomes  in- 
fested with  lice  and  mites,  it  is.  of  course,  desirable  to  be 
able  to  take  everything  out  for  thorough  treatment,  but 
there  is  no  practical  advantage  in  an  arrangement  which 
involves  continual  inconvenience  because  it  would  be  de- 
sirable to  be  able  to  throw  everything  out  of  the  house  in 


G.  jso — INTERIOR  OF  WELX.-EQUIPPED  LAYING 
HOUSE 

Photo   from  U.   S.    Department  of  Agriculture. 


FIG.  181— PEN  FRONT  IN  HOUSE  WITH  PASSAGEWAY 

PASSAGEWAYS  AND  PARTITIONS 

When  Passageways  Should  Be  Used.     Planning  Them  to 

Save  Labor.     Partitions  That  Protect 

the  Fowls. 

Where  passageways  are  provided  it  is  possible  to  in- 
corporate a  number  of  features  that  will  aid  "greatly  in 
the  work  of  caring  for  the  fowls.  A  practical  plan  for  a 
passageway  partition  is  shown  in  Fig.  181.  This  partition 
is  nailed  permanently  to  studs,  the  spacing  of  which  will 
be  determined,  of  course,  by  the  width  of  the  pens.  The 
baseboard  should  be  at  least  six  to  eight  inches  in  width 
and  better  if  ten  inches,  as  the  fowls  will  scratch  the  litter 
out  into  the  passageway  and  the  feed  trough  if  the  board 
is  too  narrow. 

The  feed  trough  is  provided  especially  for  use  where 
a  wet  mash  is  fed,  but  it  will  be  found  convenient  also  for 
feeding  kitchen  scraps,  green  food,  and  various  other  arti- 
cles, and  for  that  reason  should  be  provided  even  though 
it  is  the  intention  to  supply  the  mash  dry  in  hoppers.  The 
square  frame  next  to  the  trough  is  to  support  the  water 
vessel,  which  may  be  a  bucket  or  crock.  Place  the  vessel 
about  as  high  as  the  fowls  can  well  reach  so  as  to  keep 
the  litter  from  being  scratched  into  it.  It  is*  a  good  plan 
to  provide  a  platform  on  the  inside  for  the  fowls  to  stand 
on,  making  it  about  a  foot  high  and  with  the  water 
vessel  correspondingly  raised. 

The  upright  pieces  may  be  of  two-inch  strips  surfaced 
and  thg  edges  rounded  so  that  the  fowls'  neck  feathers 
will  not  be  worn  off  by  rubbing  against  sharp  corners. 
These  slats  should  be  about  22  to  24  inches  long,  if  nailed 
on,  as  shown  in  the  illustration.  A  neater  way  of  fasten- 
ing them  is  to  cut  them  the  exact  length  of  the  space  be- 
tween A  and  B  (about  18  inches)  and  set  them  with  the 
face  of  the  strips  flush  with  the  front  of  A  and  B,  toenail- 
ing  them  in  place,  or  nailing  to  back-strips  attached  to  the 

91 


92 


POULTRY  HOUSES  AND  FIXTURES 


inside  faces  of  A  and  B  and  extending  beyond  them  about 
half  an  inch,  thus  providing  supports  for  the  top  and  bot- 
tom of  the  uprights. 

Above  strip  B  is  an  eight-inch  board  which  forms  the 
door  into  the  nests,  by  means  of  which  the  eggs  may  be 
gathered  without  entering  the  different  pens.  Strip  D 
should  be  four  inches  wide  and  above  it  is  another  door 


FIG.    182 — DETAIL,    OF    CONSTRUCTION    OF    DROP- 
PINGS' PLATFORM,   PERCHES,  AND  NESTS 

opening  flush  with  the  top  of  the  droppings  platform  so 
that  the  droppings  may  be  scraped  directly  into  a  box  or 
trough  provided  for  the  purpose  and  which  can  be  wheeled 
readily  from  one  pen  to  another.  This  door  should  be 
about  12  inches  wide  and  is  hinged  to  the  four-inch  strip 
(F)  above. 

In  the  illustration  the  partition  from  this  point  to  the 
top  is  wire  netting,  but  it  is  a  much  better  plan  to  make 
it  of  heavy  muslin,  or  'at  least  to  provide  a  curtain  of  this 
material  that  can  be  used  in  cold  weather  to  protect  the 
fowls  from  drafts  when  on  the  perches.  The  door  into 
the  pen,  which  is  indicated  on  the  right,  should  be  at  least 
2y2  feet  wide,  and  should  be  constructed  with  a  frame  of 
four-inch  lumber  with  wire  netting  to  cover  it.  There 
should  be  an  8  to  12-inch  baseboard,  which  should  be 
made  movable,  supporting  it  by  means  of  cleats,  so  that 
it  can  be  taken  out  and  the  dirt  on  the  pen  floor  swept 
out  into  the  passage. 

PARTITIONS 

The  style  of  partition  shown  in  Fig.  64  will  be  found 
suited  to  the  requirements  of  most  persons.'  The  base 
of  the  partition  should  always  be  at  least  two  feet  high 
;nd  built  tight  to  prevent  the  fowls  from  being  distracted 
by  whatever  may  be  going  on  in  the  adjoining  pens,  and 
also  to  prevent  floor  drafts.  Next  to  the  rear  wall  the 
partition  is  carried  up  tight  to  the  rafters  and  should  ex- 
tend one  or  two  feet  beyond  the  front  perch.  This  forms 
a  sort  of  open  closet  for  the  perches,  helping  to  keep  the 
fowls  warm  on  cold  nights  and  screening  them  from  direct 
air  currents.  The  rest  of  the  partition  may  be  of  two-inch 
netting  carried  up  to  the  rafters. 

As  a  rule,  the  best  place  for  the  partition  door  is  close 
to  the  front,  so  that  the  attendant  may  pass  through  from 


one  pen  to  another  with  the  least  possible  disturbance  to 
the  fowls.  Partition  doors  should  be  wide — not  less  than 
2y2  feet — wider  is  better — so  that  it  will  be  possible  to  go 
through  without  crowding,  or  to  use  a  wheelbarrow  in 
cleaning  out  the  pens.  Use  double-acting  spring  hinges,  if 
possible,  as  they  save  time  and  trouble  and  the  doors  are 
sure  to  close.  If  spring  doors  are  not  used,  attach 
weights  to  the  doors  so  that  they  will  stay  shut  without 
having  to  be  fastened,  or  use  the  simple  door  fastener 
shown  in  Fig.  213  on  page  101. 

DROPPINGS  PLATFORMS  AND  NESTS 

Why  Droppings  Platforms  Are  Provided.     How  to  Build 

Convenient  Laying  Nests. 

Droppings  platforms  should  be  located  about  2y2  to 
3  feet  above  the  pen  floor,  unless  heavy  fowls  are  to 
be  kept,  in  which  case  they  should  not  be  over  two  feet. 
With  the  platform  2^  to  3  feet  high  there  is  room 
for  nests  under  the  platform,  which  is  the  most  desirable 
place  for  them,  as  a  rule.  Platform  boards  should  always 
run  the  short  way  of  the  platform,  or  in  the  direction  in 
which  the  droppings  are  to  be  scraped  out,  which  makes 
cleaning  much  easier.  Use  tongue-and-groove  boards 
with  a  smooth  surface,  such  as  flooring  boards,  and  re- 
member that  the  lumber  will  swell  when  the  droppings  be- 
gin to  accumulate  on  them,  for  which  reason  the  boards 
should  not  be  driven  up  tight  together,  but  left  with  room 
to  expand.  Platforms  should  always  be  built  level,  not 
sloping,  and  should  extend  fully  a  foot  beyond  the  front 
perch. 

Platforms  are  provided  in  order  to  keep  the  droppings 
from  mixing  with  the  litter,  also  to  make  the  floor  space 
under  the  perches  available  for  scratching  purposes.  They 
should  be  supported  on  2x4  stringers,  front  and  back,  so 
that  the  platform  will  always  hold  its  shape  and  remain 
level.  One-inch  lumber  when  used  for  this  purpose  will 
bend  under  the  weight  of  the  platform  and  must  be  sup- 
ported at  frequent  intervals.  Numerous  supports  are  a 
nuisance  in  cleaning  the  floor,  however,  and  it  is  better 
to  use  2x4  stringers,  in  which  case  the  upright  supports 
may  be  spaced  at  least  eight  feet  apart. 

A  Manure  Pit  for  the  Laying  House 
In  some  instances  droppings  platforms  are  omitted 
and  a  10-inch  board  is  placed  on  edge  on  the  pen  floor, 
about  a  foot  in  front  of  the  perches.  The  droppings  are 
allowed  to  fall  on  the  floor  and  accumulate  there  until  it 
is  convenient  to  remove  them.  By  this  plan  it  is  possible 


fe  S 


3ZJ:  B.T7'S 


FIG.   183 — MANURE  PIT  TO  TAKE  THE  PLACE  OF 

DROPPINGS   PLATFORM 
Reproduced   from  Ex.   Bui.    16,   Clemson    (S.   C.)    Agr,   Col. 

to  avoid  the  frequent  cleaning  that  is  necessary  where 
platforms  are  used,  and  if  earth  or  fine  litter  is  sprinkled 
over  the  droppings  often  enough  to  keep  them  dry,  they 
may  be  allowed  to  accumulate  for  a  considerable  time  be- 
fore there  will  be  any  noticeable  odor.  The  following  de- 


INTERIOR   FIXTURES   AND    EQUIPMENT 


93 


scription  of  a  manure  pit  designed  to  take  the  place  of 
the  droppings  platform,  and  to  facilitate  cleaning  out  the 
droppings,  is  given  by  Prof.  F.  C.  Hare  in  Extension 
Bulletin  16,  Clemson  (S.  C.)  Agricultural  College: 

"The  dropboard  under  the  roosts  to  prevent  the  ma- 
nure of  the  roosting  fowls  soiling  the  floor,  answers  the 
purpose  for  which  it  is  designed,  but  it  is  unsightly. 
With  small  flocks,  a-  frequent  scraping  of  the  dropboard 
will  keep  it  presentable,  but,  unless  large  dropboards  are 
cleaned  daily,  the  accumulation  of  manure  from  a  flock 
of  several  hundred  hens  becomes  quite  objectionable  in 
even  a  few  days.  To  remove  the  manure  daily  requires 
labor  and  time  that  frequently  cannot  be  provided  in  busy 
seasons. 

"I  have  designed  a  manure  pit  from  which  the  ma- 
nure can  b.e  hauled  away  in  a  wagon.  It  is  unnecessary  to 
remove  the  manure  more  often  than  once  a  month  if  the 
moisture  is  absorbed,  and  during  this  time  the  manure 
cannot  be  seen  by  anyone  walking  through  the  house. 
To  absorb  the  moisture,  the  manure  is  covered  every  few 
days  with  an  inch  of  dry  earth  or  sand.  This  procedure 
is  identical  with  that  prescribed  for  making  a  compost 
bed  for  fertilizing  the  garden,  so  that  the  manure  is  being 
improved  while  it  is  being  collected  in  sufficient  quantity 
to  warrant  hauling  it  away. 

"The  floor  and  12  inches  of  the  front  and  rear  walls 
of  the  manure  pit  should  be  built  of  concrete.  A  good 
formula  is:  one  part  of  cement,  2y2  parts  of  clean,  sharp 
sand,  five  parts  of  coarse  gravel.  The  remaining,  or  up- 
per two  feet  of  the  front  wall,  is  made  of  lumber.  The 
roosts  are  fastened  together  in  sections  to  slide  forward 
out  of  the  way,  or  the  sections  are  hinged  to  the  front 
wall  of  the  pit  and  raised  with  a  cord.  The  manure  is 
removed  through  a  door  in  the  rear.  In  long  houses  a 
door  for  this  purpose  is  put  in  every  20  feet. 

"A  road  should  be  made  at  the  rear,  or  north  side  of 
the  house,  for  the  use  of  the  horse  and  manure  wagon. 
The  manure  and  earth,  collected  in  this  way  once  a 
month,  or  when  required,  can  be  taken  to  the  vegetable 
or  flower  garden  and  used  at  once.  It  is  an  excellent 
fertilizer.  If  you  wish  still  further  to  improve  it,  sprinkle 
16  per  cent  of  acid  phosphate  over  the  manure  just  be- 
fore you  cover  it  with  earth.  The  acid  hastens  the  ripe- 
ning of  the  manure."  See  Fig.  183  for  cross-section  of 
house  with  manure  pit  as  herein  described. 

Perch  Supports 

There  are  various  methods  of  supporting  the  perches. 
Under  most  conditions  it  is  desirable  to  have  the  roosts 
back  as  close  as  possible  to  the  rear  wall,  in  which  case 


Y'3" 


FIG.    184— SATISFACTORY   WALL  XESTS 


FIG.    185 — FRONT    ELEVATION    OF    WALL   NESTS 

they  may  be  supported  over  the  platform,  either  as  shown 
in  Fig.  85,  where  metal  lice-proof  perch  holders  are  used, 
or  by  means  of  a  horizontal  bar  suitably  notched,  the  bar 
being  supported  in  front  on  a  short  leg  or  block  and  in  the 
rear  by  a  four-inch  strap  hinge,  by  means  of  which  the 
perches  may  readily  be  raised  when  the  platform  is  to  be 
cleaned.  If  the  perches  are  not  too  long  the  supporting 
bar  can  be  attached  directly  to  the  sidewalls,  but  it 
is  not  desirable  to  have  perches  over  12  feet  in  length,  un- 
less they  are  supported  in  the  middle.  Instead  of  hinges, 
the  horizontal  bars  often  are  suspended  from  the  rafters 
by  a  stout  wire  at  each  end.  This  arrangement  makes  it 
practically  impossible  for  mites  to  pass  back  and  forth 
from  walls  to  perches  and  nothing  but  the  grossest  neg- 
lect will  permit  mites  to  infest  the  house. 

Perches  should  be  of  2x4  material  if  over  six  feet  long, 
and  should  be  surfaced,  and  the  upper  edges  of  the  perches 
should  always  be  rounded.  Square-cornered  perches  will 
cause  corns,  which  may  later  develop  into  bumblefoot. 
The  back  perch  should  be  10  to  12  inches  from  the  rear 
wall  and  the  rest  spaced  12  to  14  inches  apart.  Round 
poles  with  the  bark  off  make  good  perches,  but  should  be 
well  seasoned  before  using,  as  they  are  much  stiffer  than 
green  poles,  which  frequently  bend  so  badly  as  to  become 
quite  uncomfortable  for  the  fowls. 

Roosting  Closets 

x 

In  sev.ere  climates  roosting  closets  sometimes  are  a 
necessity  in  order  to  protect  from  injury  the  combs  and 
wattles  of  valuable 
breeding  fowls.  Fig. 
186  shows  a  sim- 
ple way  of  provid- 
ing such  a  closet  by 
installing  a  shutter 
in  front  of  the  per- 
ches, making  it 
wide  enough  to 
reach  from  drop- 
pings platform  to 
roof.  The  shutters 
should  be  made  in  sections,  as  here  shown,  when  the  plat- 
forms are  more  than  8  feet  long.  Do  not  use  heavy  ma- 
terial for  covering  the  shutters,  as  it  is  not  desirable  to 
restrict  air  circulation  more  than  is  necessary  to  prevent 
frosted  combs.  As  a  rule,  burlap  will  prove  sufficient  for 
the  purpose. 


FIG.    186 — ROOSTING    CLOSET    FOR 
. LARGE   COMBED  FOWLS 


94 


POULTRY  HOUSES  AND  FIXTURES 


Platform  Nests 

The  platform  nests  shown  in  Fig.  182  are  easily  con- 
stiucted  and  will  be  fftund  practical  and  convenient.  The 
brackets  and  bottom  boards  are  permanent  while  the  rest 
may  readily  be  removed  for  cleaning  and  disinfecting.  The 

bottom  board  is  two  inches 
narrower  than  the  nest  par- 
titions, so  that  when  these 
are  in  place  there  will  be  an 
inch  space  on  each  side  of 
the  bottom  boards,  which 
makes  the  nests  self-clean- 
ing to  some  extent.  Instead 
of  placing  the  front  platform 
stringer  flat,  as  in  the  illus- 
tration, many  prefer  to  make 
the  platform  two  inches 
higher  so  that  the  stringer 
may  be  set  on  edge,  making 
the  platform  more  rigid. 
Nests  should  be  made  of 
light-weight  material,  such 
as  white  pine,  for  ease  in 
handling,  but  do  not  use  too 
thin  boards.  Three-quarter- 
inch  or  13-16-inch  stuff  is  as 
light  as  it  is  advisable  to 
use.  Nest  boards  should  be 
surfaced  on  all  sides.  It  is 


FIG.  187— CROSS  SECTION 
OF   WALL  NESTS 


easier  to  keep  them  clean  if  smooth  and  it  takes  less 
time  and  less  material  to  paint  them  with  lice  paint  or 
disinfectants.  Do  not  make  the  nests  too  long.  *A 
set  of  four  or  five  nests  is  easier  handled  than  when 
longer.  For  a  set  of  platform  nests  the  following  material 
will  be  required. 

BILL,    OF    MATERIALS    FOR    FIVE    PLATFORM    NESTS 

Door  %x7     inches  6   lin.   feet 

Front    (below   door)    %x6     inches  6   lin.   feet 

Nest    bottom    %x!2   inches  6   lin.   feet 

Back    strip    %x4     inches  6   lin.   feet 

Top   strip,   front  and   back %x2     inches  12   lin.   feet 

Partitions    %xll   inches  7   lin.   feet 

Running  board   %x6     inches  6   lin.   feet 

Bracket    : %x4     inches  10   lin.   feet 

1   pr.    4-inch   T-strap  hinges. 

1   wooden   button. 

No  allowance  made  for  waste  in  cutting'. 

Orange  Box  Nests 

Fig.    188   shows   how   ordinary   orange   boxes  may  be 
utilized  as  nests.     Such  nests  are  a  trifle  small  for  large 


FIG.  188 — NESTS  MADE  FROM  ORANGE  BOXES 

• 

hens,  but  for  Leghorns  they  are  quite  satisfactory.  If  at- 
tached to  the  wall  or  partition  by  means  of  a  couple  of 
hooks  and  eyes,  as  shown  in  the  illustration,  they  will  re- 
quire no  other  support  and  can  be  taken  out  for  cleaning 
with  the  slightest  possible  trouble. 


Wall  Nests 

A  good  type  of  nest  is  shown  in  Figs.  185  and  187.  The 
construction  is  easily  understood  from  these  illustrations. 
It  will  be  noticed  that  the  bottom  board  in  front  of  each 
set  of  nests  is  hinged  at  the  top  so  that  it  may  be  raised 
up  and  the  nests  conveniently  cleaned  without  moving 
them.  These  boards  are  held  in  place  by  means  of  small 
screw  hooks  and  eyes.  Fig.  184  shows  a  set  of  18  wall 
nests  arranged  in  three  tiers,  but  for  ordinary  use  eight 
nests  in  two  tiers  are  as  many  as  it  is  advisable  to  build 
together.  For  such  a  set  the  following  lumber  is  re- 
quired: 


BILL,    OF    MATERIALS    FOR    EIGHT    WALL    NESTS 


Top    boards    %xlO   inches  9   ft.  2 

Back    Boards    %xlO   inches  15   ft.  0   in 

Sides    %x7     inches  12   ft.  0   in 

Bottoms    %x8     inches  8   ft.  €   in 

Bottoms    %x7     inches  8   ft.  6   in 

Running-    boards    y8x6     inches  8   ft.  6   in 

Partitions %x!2   inches  7  ft.  0   in 

Front    boards,    bottom    %x4     inches  8   ft.  6   in 

Front   boards,    top   %x2     inches  8   ft.  6 

Support   for   running-   bds....%x2     inches  7   ft.  4 

Strips    %x%    inches  7   ft.  0   in 


lin.  ft. 

lin.  ft. 

lin.  ft. 

lin.  ft. 

lin.  ft. 

lin.  ft. 

lin.  ft. 

lin.  ft. 

lin.  ft. 

lin.  ft. 

lin.  ft. 


If    T    &    G    boards    are    used    for    top,    back,    etc.,    get    55 

ft.    board    meas. 
2   pr.    1-inch   butt   hinges. 
4   2-inch    hooks    and    eyes. 

No    allowance    made    for    waste 


cutting. 


Sectional  Nests. 


The  nests  shown  in  Fig.  189  are  adapted  for  use  either 
in  the  laying  house  or  for  sitting  hens.  They  are  built 
with  solid  bottoms,  backs  and  ends,  and  may  be  stacked 


FIG.    189 — CONVENIENT    SECTIONAL   NESTS 

up  one  on  the  other  in  the  fashion  of  sectional  bookcases, 
which  suggests  the  name.  The  doors  are  on  hinges  and 
are  supported  in  a  horizontal  position  by  means  of  strong 
cords  or  wires,  and  in  this  position  serve  as  running- 
boards.  They  can  be  closed  when  necessary,  turned  to 
face  the  wall,  or  placed  in  any  other  position.  They  can 
be  made  in  sets  of  two,  three  or  four,  though  the  latter  is 
not  advisable  unless  light-weight  wood  is  used.  For  sit- 
ting hens  they  should  be  made  13  to  15  inches  high,  and 
about  14  inches  square. 

TRAP  NESTS 

Plans   for   Trap    Nests    That   Are   Easily    Made   and    . 
Reliable  in  Action. 

A  simple,  convenient  trap  nest  that  has  given  the  best 
of  service  for  many  years  is  shown  in  Figs.  190,  191  and 
192.  The  hen  in  entering  the  nest  raises  the  door  slightly. 
which  releases  trigger  B  in  Fig.  191,  and  as  soon  as  she 
has  passed  from  under  the  door  it  drops  in  place  and  the 
hen  will  have  to  remain  in  the  nest  until  released  by  the 
attendant.  Fig.  190  shows  all  the  different  parts  that  enter 


INTERIOR  FIXTURES   AND    EQUIPMENT 


95 


into  the  making  of  the   nest.     Use   the   following  key   in 
studying  the  illustration: 

A.  Galvanzied  iron  door  9x9  inches  square.  Edges 
turned  to  stiffen.  Upper  edge  has  No.  9  fence  wire  in- 
serted in  fold,  this  wire  extending  about  24-inch  at  each 
end  beyond  sides  of  door.  B.  Wood  trigger,  ?/&x%  inches 
in  width  and  thickness,  and  2y2  inches  in  length.  Has 
notch  cut  in  lower  end.  Upper  end  has  common  wire 
staple  driven  in  part  way,  with  an  extra  staple  looped 
through  this  one.  Is  fastened  to  cross  top  rail  (see  Fig. 
191)  so  that  galvanized  iron  door  will  just  clear  it  nicely 
when  raised.  C.  Top  rail  %x2x!2  inches.  Trigger  (B)  is  to 
be  attached  to  this  rail.  D  and  E,  front  and  back  of  nest — 
duplicates;  \2l/2  inches  wide  by  10^4  inches  high.  Bottom 
rail  ^x3xl2j^  inches.  Top  rail  7/sx\^xl2]/2  inches.  Side 
rail  Jgx2x6j4  inches.  Strips  are.  ^x%xl0^4  inches.  Back 
of  nest  can  be  made  solid,  if  desired.  F  and  I,  sides  of 
nest,  each  f^xl0^x20^2  inches.  G.  Bottom  of  nest  or 
floor,  %x!27/8x20y2  inches.  H,  Strip  ^x2^x!2  inches,  used 


FIG.   190 — PARTS  REQUIRED   IX  PRACTICAL, 
TRAP-NEST 

mid-way  between  front  and  back  of  nest  to  hold  nest  ma- 
terial in  place.  See  Figs.  191  and  192  for  construction  of 
nest  and  nest  in  use. 

The  Connecticut  Trap  Nest 

By   ROY   E.   JONES    nnd   LESLIE    CARD 

The  trap  nest  shown  in  Fig.  193  was  developed  in  con- 
nection with  the  International  Egg  Laying  Contest  at 
Storrs.  The  important  parts  of  this  nest  are  the  door  and 
trigger.  The  door  is  hung  at  the  top  on  No.  8  or  9  wire 
by  means  of  strips  of  hoop  iron  tacked  along  the  edges  of 
the  door.  These  strips  extend  above  the  top  of  the  door 
and  a  hole  is  punched  in  the  upper  end  through  which 
the  wire  runs.  The  door  is  made  narrower  at  the  bottom 
than  at  the  top  to  prevent  its  binding  on  the  sides  of  the 
nest.  The  door  when  completed  and  in  place  is  practically 
proof  against  trouble  as  there  is  nothing  to  get  loose  or 
wear  out. 


The  dimensions  of  the  trigger  are  shown  in  the  dia- 
gram (Fig.  193).  The  trigger  is  perhaps  more  easily  made 
from  a  %x2-inch  strip.  The  4^4-inch  dimension  and  the 
2^-inch  dimension  may  be  measured  off  on  the  two  par- 
allel edges,  which  are  two  inches  apart.  Then  the  4^-inch 
dimension  may  be  drawn  and  the  J^-inch  one  perpendicu- 
lar to  it.  These  leave  only  the  2^-inch  line  to  be  drawn, 
which  is  easily  done.  The  point  for  making  the  screw  hole 
is  determined  as  follows:  draw  a  line  parallel  to  the  4^4- 
inch  side  and  y2  inch  from  it.  Then  measure  along  this 
line  to  a  point  2^4  inches  from  the  point  of  the  trigger. 


FIG.    191 — HEN    ENTERING   TRAP    NEST 

This  point  will  be  the  center  of  the  screw  hole.  The  screw 
hole  should  be  large  enough  to  allow  the  trigger  to  work 
freely.  It  is  well  to  put  one  of  the  small  tins  sometimes 
used  in  laying  tar  paper  behind  the  trigger  with  the 
rounded  side  out.  This  will  tend  to  let  the  trigger  act 
more  freely.  The  screw  holding  the  trigger  should  be 
placed  at  a  point  about  5^  inches  from  the  bottom  of  the 
nest  and  3j4  inches  from  the  front. 

The  two  cuts  at  the  bottom  of  Fig.  193  show  all  the 
other  dimensions  of  the  nest.  The  backs  are  left  open  to 
facilitate  cleaning,  with  the  nests  hung  against  the  wall.  If 
placed  under  the  droppings  boards  the  tops  may  be  left 
open  also.  If  used  for  a  large  flock  the  nests  may  be 
tiered  up  in  rows,  in  which  case  only  the  top  row  would 
need  to  be  covered  as  the  bottom  of  one  row  of  nests 
would  be  the  covers  for  the  row  below. 

To  set  the  nests  when  the  door  is  closed,  insert  the  in- 
dex finger  beneath  the  door  and  depress  the  forward'  end 
of  the  trigger  sufficiently  to  allow  the  door  to  open.  Open 
the  door  until  it  rests  in  the  notch  of  the  trigger  when  the 


FIG.   192 — HEN  IN  NEST — DOOR  CLOSED 

rear  end  of  the  latter  is  raised.  When  a  hen  enters  the 
nest  she  lifts  the  door  slightly  with  her  back,  the  trigger 
at  once  drops  and  the  door  swings  shut.  A  small  block 
is  placed  under  the  trigger  at  such  a  height  that  when  the 
rear  end  of  the  trigger  is  resting  upon  it  the  front  end  is 
held  at  a  point  just  above  the  lower  edge  of  the  door  when 
closed.  This  prevents  the  door  from  opening  inward  to 
admit  another  hen  until  the  occupant  of  the  nest  has  been 
removed  and  her  egg  recorded.  A  stop  is  necessary  in 
front  of  each  door  to  prevent  the  door  opening  outward 


96 


POULTRY  HOUSES  AND  FIXTURES 


FIG.   193— PLANS   FOR   THE    CONNECTICUT   TRAP   NEST 


and  thus  allowing  the  hen  to  escape.  This  may  consist  of 
a  screw  hook  bent  over  a  small  block  of  wood  or  one  of 
the  small  iron  buttons  commonly  used  to  fasten  cupboard 


doors.  Whatever  form  of  stop  is  used 
should  be  fastened  to  the  partition  be- 
tween the  nests  in  such  a  way  that  it  wili 
stop  the  door  flush  with  the  front  of  the 
partition.  The  key  to  the  successful  oper- 
ation of  the  nest  lies  in  the  correct  adjust- 
ment of  the  door  and  trigger. 

MATERIALS    REQUIRED    FOR    A    SET    OP 
THREE   TRAP   NESTS 

Boards 2 — y8x9   inches.   1   feet  long. 

1 — %x8%   inches,   3   feet  long. 

1 — %r4  inches,  3  feet  4  inch  long. 

Furring- 3 — %x2  inches,   12   feet  long. 

Wire 40  inches  No.  8  or  9. 

Hoop  iron....  %-inch.   6   feet  long. 
Nails y_.    pound   6d. 

The  "Gravity"  Trap  Nest 

The  trap  nest  illustrated  in  Figs.  194 
and  195,  is  one  of  the  simplest  and  easiest 
to  operate.  This  nest  can  be  made  by  any- 
one who  is  handy  with  tools.  There  are  no 
triggers  or  special  attachments  to  make 
or  to  get  out  of  order. 

It  is  24  inches  long,  12  to  14  inches 
wide  and  12  inches  high.  The  top  of  the 
nest  is  covered  with  poultry  netting  and 
the  revolving  door  in  front  also  is  covered 
with  1-inch  netting,  or  with  galvanized 
wire  cloth.  The  sides  of  the  door,  as  will 
be  seen  in  Fig.  195,  are  each  made  of  a 
piece  of  %-inch  lumber.  The  circular  face 
of  the  door  is  approximately  one-third  of 
a  full  circle  and  should  measure  l3l/2 
inches,  while  the  straight  edges  should 
each  measure  7yt>  inches.  The  two  sides  of 
the  door  are  fastened  together  at  top  and 
bottom  by  means  of  strips  about  54x1^2 
inch.  The  door  swings  on  screws  that  pass 
through  small  holes  in  the  extreme  back 
part  of  the  door  frame  and  are  screwed 
into  the  sides  of  the  nest. 

Care  must  be  taken  to  see  that  the  door 
swings    freely    back  and    forth   and    is   so 
balanced  that  when  it  is  open  a  hen  pass- 
ing underneath  will  tip  it  forward.    When 
the    door   is    open,    ready    for   use,    it    rests 
on  a  nail  driven  into  the  box,  this  nail  being  so  placed 
that  the  door  is  just  balanced  when  open.     After  the  hen 
enters  the  nest  she  has  to  step  onto  or  over  a  4-inch  strip 


FIG.   194— "GRAVITY"  TRAP  NEST  WITH  DOOR  CLOSED 
Photo  from  American  School  of  Poultry  Husbandry. 


FIG.    195— CONSTRUCTION  OF  "GRAVITY"    TRAP  NEST 

This  section  through  side  of  nest  shows  dimensions, 
method  of  hanging  door  on  screws,  also  location  of  nail 
which  supports  door  when  open.  Hen  in  stepping  over 
low  board  in  front  of  nest  lifts  door  and  causes  i 
roll  forward  along  dotted  line.  Original  drawing  from 
American  School  of  Poultry  Husbandry. 


INTERIOR  FIXTURES   AND    EQUIPMENT 


97 


that  is  nailed  across  the  bottom  and  forms  the  front  of 
the  nest  proper.  This  raises  her  back  so  that  it  touches 
the  door,  which  then  gently  rolls  forward  and  closes  be- 
hind her.  With  a  little  care  in  adjusting  the  door  and  se- 
curing a  proper  balance,  the  nest  is  accurate  and  depend- 
able. 

FEED  TROUGHS  AND  HOPPERS 

Troughs  That   Fowls   Cannot   Get   Into.      Hoppers   That 
Prevent  Wasting  of  Feed. 

For  feed  troughs  to  be  placed  directly  on  the  floor, 
the  one  shown  in  Fig.  198  is  probably  as  good  as  any.  It 
cannot  readily  be  upset  nor  can  the  fowls  get  into  it.  It 
can  be  made  in  any  length  or  width  to  meet  individual 

requirements.  A 
simple,  easily 
made  trough  is 
shown  in  Fig.  196. 
It  consists  of  or- 
dinary galavanized 
e  a  v  e  troughing, 
preferably  four  or  five  inches  wide,  and  nailed  to  suit- 
able wooden  supports.  Bend  the  ends  up  to  close  them. 
Metal  troughs  are  easy  to  clean  and  keep  in  sanitary  con- 
dition. 

The  wooden  trough  shown  in  Fig.  197  is  easily  and 
cheaply  made.  For  adult  fowls  make  it  with  a  6-inch 
board  on  the  one  side  and  a  7-inch  board  on  the  other 
in  order  to  have  both  sides  the  same  height.  The  divid- 


FIG.   196— METAL  FEED  TROUGH 


FIG.   197 — WOODEN  FEED  TROUGH  WITH  REMOVA- 
BLE   DIVIDING   BOARD 

ing  board  is  provided  to  keep  the  fowls  from  getting  into 
the  trough  and  soiling  contents.  The  ends  of  this  board 
are  bevelled  and  slide  in  slots  cut  into  the  end. pieces, 
making  it  easily  removable  for  cleaning. 

Feed  Hoppers 

For  feeding  dry  mash  or  grain  the  hopper  shown  in 
Figs.  199  and  200  is  highly  recommended.  This  hopper  is 
made  three  feet  long,  13  inches  wide  and  20  inches  high  to 
top  of  roof.  A  hopper  of  this  size  will  hold  sufficient  food 
for  40  to  60  adult  fowls  or  growing  stock  for  a  week. 


FIG.   199— GRAIN  AND  MASH  HOPPER   FOR  INDOOR 
AND    OUTDOOR   USE 

It    is    not    essential 

that  hoppers  be  fill- 
ed full  once  a  week. 

In     practice     it     is 

found  that  it  is  well 

to    fill    them    about 

half  full;  then   keep 

an     eye     on     them 

when   going  about 

to    the    coops    with 

water,    etc.,    and   re- 
fill any  that  appear 

to  be  getting  low. 
It  will  be  noticed 

also    that   the   parti- 

t  i  o  n    dividing    the 

hopper     into     two 

compartments  is  not 

in  the   center.  As  a 

matter    of    fact,  the 

partition  is  set  over 

just     half     an     inch  PIG    200— CROSS  SECTION  OF  GRAIN 

from  the  exact  cen-      AND    MASH    HOPPER    FOR    IN- 
ter,     so     that     the  DOOR  AND  OUTDOOR  USE 

throat    of    the    side 

containing  the  dry  mash  shall  be  an  inch  wider  than  the 
side  containing  whole  or  cracked  grain.     The  dry  mash 


FIG.   198— METAL  FEED  TROUGH  WITH  DIVIDING 
BOARD 


FIG.   201 — SIMPLE  HOPPER  FOR  DRY  MASH  FEEDING 


93 


POULTRY  HOUSES  AND  FIXTURES 


/  strip  to  keep  hen 
from  spiffing 


SECT/ON. 


FIG.   202 — FEED  HOPPER  WITH   THREE  COMPARTMENTS 
This    easily    constructed    compartment    feed    hopper    can    be    used    for    dry 
mash,   grains,   grit,   oyster  shells,   charcoal,   etc.     Made  with   sloping   top  fowls 
cannot   perch    upon    it.     Reproduced    from    Cir.    26,    Utah    Agricultural    College. 


,  .flows  less  freely  than  does  grain,  and  the  inch  wider 
throat  for  the  dry  mash  side  is  desirable  to  prevent  its 
clogging. 

In  the  drawing  of  a  cross  section  of  this  hopper  (Fig. 
200)  the  bottom  and  ends  are  made  of  inch  boards  13 
inches  wide  and  the  sides  and  partitions  are  made  of  half- 
inch  or  five-eighth-inch  boards.  The  partitions  and  roof 
can  easily  be  made  of  a  good  roofing  fabric,  or  of  galvan- 
ized iron.  When  made  of  roofing  fabric,  half-inch  strips 
of  board  should  be  tacked  to  the  ends  and  bottom  of  the 
middle  partition;  then  these  strips  of  board  are  nailed  to 
ends  and  bottom  of  hopper,  holding  the  partition  firmly  in 
place.  Two  laths,  one  on  each  side,  are  then  securely 
nailed  to  the  top  of  the  partition  and  they  make  the  ridge- 
pole of  the  hopper. 

The  sloping  partitions  forming  the  two  sides  of  this 
hopper  are  made  similaily,  excepting  that  a  single  lath, 
planed  smooth  so  that  the  fowls'  combs  will  not  be 
scratched  by  the  rough  edges,  is  securely  tacked  along  the 
lower  outside  edge  of  the  partitions.  A  single  lath  is  not 
stiff  enough  to  hold  the  outward  thrust  of  half  a  bushel 
of  grain,  therefore  a  piece  of  J^-inch  wire  (telephone  wire) 
is  cut  the  right  length  and  bent  over  so  it  can  be  tacked 
to  the  hopper  front  with  a  couple  of  staples  and  will 
reach  into  the  lath  of  the  partitions. 
This  will  hold  the  partitions  securely  in 
place. 

The  slats  forming  the  fronts  are  made 
of  laths,  planed  smooth,  and  are  nailed 
about  two  inches  apart.  Along  the  top 
of  the  front  is  nailed  a  lath,  extending 
inward  and  slightly  downward,  as  shown 
in  Fig.  200.  This  makes  a  "lip"  and 
tends  to  prevent  the  chicks  from  throw- 
ing out  the  food  as  they  pick  at  it.  A 
little  grain  will  be  thrown  out  probably, 
but  they  eat  from  the  ground  now  and 
then,  especially  after  a  rain  has  soaked 
the  grain,  hence  there  is  practically  no 
waste. 

The  cover  of  the  hopper  is  made  slop- 
ing, just  like  a  roof,  and  the  eaves, 
should  project  full  four  inches  over  each  side.  The  ends 
are  cut  from  half-inch  box  boards  and  strips  of  the  same 
material  three  inches  wide  are  cut  for  the  support  of  the 
eaves.  Two  or  three  laths  are  nailed  lengthwise  between 


the  eaves  and  the  ridge  to  support 
the  roofing  fabric  which  makes 
the  roof.  The  lath  and  eaves  strips 
are  let  into  the  end  pieces,  so  the 
roofing  fabric  nails  closely  down  up- 
on the  ends.  A  hook  and  screw  eye  in 
the  center  of  each  end  secures  the 
roof  in  place  so  the  wind  cannot  lift  it. 

A   Simple    Feed    Hopper   For    Mash 
or  Grain 

One  of  the  easiest  feed  hoppers  to 
make  and  one  that  will  give  good 
satisfaction,  is  the  one  shown  in  Fig. 
201.  Use  any  convenient  box — one 
with  the  dimensions  indicated  in  the 
illustration,  if  available;  or,  if  not, 
any  other  suitable  size.  Remove  the 
top  and  trim  enough  off  the  edges 
to  let  it  fit  between  the  sides,  then 
adjust  it  in  the  position  of  the  dotted 
lines  and  nail  fast.  Make  a  hinged 


FIG.    203. 

GREEN  FEED 

HOLDER 


cover,  as  shown;  or,  if  increased  size  is  no  object,  simply 
saw  the  upper  end  off  with  the  proper  slant  and  use  the 
end  thus  secured  for  a  cover.  The  hinges  can  be  dis- 
pensed with,  if  preferred,  nailing  a  cleat  on  the  underside 
of  the  loose  top  near  the  front  so  that  when  it  is  in  posi- 
tion it  will  be  held  in  place  by  the  cleat  which  rests 
against  the  upper  edge  of  the  sloping  front.  If  the  fowls 
waste  the  food  by  throwing  it  out  over  the  front  board, 
nail  a  piece  of  lath  along  the  upper  edge  of  the  board, 
letting  the  lath  extend  in  so  as  to  form  a  lip  which 
catches  any  food  that  may  be  thrown  up  by  the  fowl-. 


FIG.    204— A   LOW-COST    COMPARTMENT   HOPPER 

Compartment  Hoppers 

For  small  flocks  a  compartment  hopper  to  hold  sev- 
eral articles,  such  as  grit,  oyster  shell  and  dry  mash,  often 
is  wanted.  The  ones  shown  in  Figs.  202  and  204  meet 
this  need  and  are  easily  made.  The  number  of  compart- 
ments that  may  be  provided  will  be  determined  to  some 
extent  by  size  of  box.  They  should  not  be  made  so  small 
that  the  contents  will  not  feed  down  readily.  The  inside 
surfaces  of  all  boards  used  in  making  hoppers  should  be 
smooth,  as  hoppers  made  of  rough  boards  are  apt  to 
clog.  The  hopper  shown  in  Fig.  204  will  be  improved  by 
providing  a  "lip"  on  the  front  of  the  feeding  section,  ex- 
tending inward,  as  shown  in  Fig.  200,  which  will  prevent 
the  fowls  from  throwing  the  contents  out  on  the  floor. 

Green  Feed  Holder 

A  convenient  means  of  supplying  bulky  green  food, 
such  as  cabbage,  mangels,  vegetable  leaves,  etc.,  is  by  the 


INTERIOR   FIXTURES   AND    EQUIPMENT 


99 


FRONT  VIEW 


END   VIEW 


END   VIEW 


REAR    V'£SV 


AUTOMATIC  FEEDER 


C.C.  HOLMES 


FIG.    205 — THE   HOLMES   AUTOMATIC   POULTRY    FEEDER 


use  of  an  open  mesh  holder  like  the  one  shown  in  Fig. 
203.  It  may  be  made  of  loosely-woven  cord,  or  of  2-inch 
mesh  poultry  netting.  Suspended  from  ceiling  or  rafter 
at  a  suitable  height,  so  that  the  fowls  will  have  to  make 
some  effort  to  reach  it,  this  feeder  not  only  protects  the 
contents  from  being  soiled  or  wasted,  but  also  promotes 

healthful  e  x  e  r  - 
cise.  Pieces  of 
meat,  butcher's 
scraps,  etc.,  may 
also  be  fed  in 
this  way. 


An   Automatic   Feeder 

There  is  always  more  or  less  de- 
mand for  an  automatic  feeder  that 
will  meet  the  requirements  of  the 
back-yard  poultryman  who  must  be 
absent  from  home  at  the  time  when 
the  fowls  should  have*  their  grain 
feed.  This  is  especially  liable  to  be 
the  case  in  the  evening.  Probably  the 
great  majority  of  shop  and  office 
workers  in  this  country  do  not  get 
home  from  work  until  after  dark, 
during  the  winter  months,  and  it  is 
not  always  possible  to  have  someone 
else  to  do  the  feeding,  and  do  it  just 
the  way  it  should  be  done.  The  auto- 
matic feeder  illustrated  in  Fig.  205 
was  devised  by  C.  C.  Holmes  as  a 
means  of  insuring  that  the  hens 
shall  get  their  meals  on  time.  It  is 
comparatively  inexpensive  and  sim- 
ple in  construction,  and  should  an- 
swer the  purpose  in  a  very  satisfac- 
tory manner.  The  following  direc- 
tions for  making  this  feeder  are  sup- 
plied by  Mr.  Holmes. 

Feed — Take  an  inch  board  nine 
inches  wide  and  18  inches  long.  Cut 
hole  two  inches  square  through  board 
4l/2  inches  from  end  and  sides  of 
board  to  center  of  hole.  This  affords 
an  opening  through  which  the  grain 
passes  onto  the  spreader  after  the 
hinged  door  has  been  liberated  by 
the  trigger. 

Hinged  Door — To  be  constructed 
similar  to  the  cover  on  a  tobacco 
box,  and  secured  to  bottom  of  board 
in  such  position  as  to  entirely  cover 
hole. 

Trigger— After  hinged  door  'has 
been  placed,  the  trigger  is  to  be. lo- 
cated so  as  to  hang  plumb,  the  notch 

to  project  slightly  over  the  edge  of  hinged  door.  Cut  nar- 
row slot  through  board  long  enough  to  allow  trigger  to 
move  backward  and  forward  freely.  Where  trigger  passes 
through  top  of  board  make  a  small  hole,  through  which 
put  a  nail  and  secure  same  to  top  of  board  with  a  staple 
at  each  end.  Trigger  can  be  made  of  metal  or  wood,  with 
small  hole  to  fasten  string. 

Hopper — To  be  eight  inches  square  and  such  height 
as  may  be  required,  the  bottom  portion  to  be  cut  and  bent 
in,  so  as  to  form  a  two-inch  square  opening  at  -bottom  of 
hopper.  At  each  corner  of  hopper  solder  metal  standards 
of  proper  length,  bent  at  bottom  to  receive  screw.  Plac  < 


!  Foot  Baard  \ 


2"  space 


* 

c 
Can 


FIG.    206 — CONVENIENT   MASH    PAIL 


FIG.    207 — PLATFORM    FOR    WATER 
DISH 


FIG    208 — WATERING   PLAT- 
FORM,  PAIL  HOLDER 


100 


POULTRY  HOUSES  AND  FIXTURES 


two-inch  square  hole  in  hopper  directly  over  hole  in  board 
and  secure  same  by  screwing  standards  to  top  of  board. 
The  lid  of  hopper  is  to  be  made  similar  to  hinged  door  on 
bottom  of  board. 

Spreader — To  be  made  of  metal,  conical  in  shape,  and 

12  inches  in  dia- 
meter at  base,  sus- 
pended with  wire 
hangers  soldered  to 
spreader  and 
screwed  to  bottom 
of  board.  Hangers 
are  to  be  of  proper 
length  to  suspend 
spreader  low  enough 
to  clear  hinged  door 
when  open. 

Clock — An  o  r  d  i  - 
nary  alarm  clock  is 
then  placed  in  such 
a  position  that  it 
brings  the  center  of 
spool  over  center  of 
FIG.  209— TROLLEY  FEED  CARRIER  board.  After  clock 

has      been     securely 

fastened  with  metal  strap,  which  is  bent  over  top  of 
clock  and  screwed  at  each  end  to  top  of  board,  plumb 
down  from  side  of  spool  and  bore  hole  through  which 
string  passes.  On  bottom  of  board  under  hole  place 
small  wooden  pulley  around  which  string  passes  from 
spool  to  trigger. 

Spool — To  be  secured  to  alarm  winder  in  a  sub- 
stantial manner  by  welding  a  short  shaft  to  winder  over 
which  slip  spool  and  secure  with  set  screw. 

Finally — Wind  clock  and  set  at  correct  time,  then  give 
spool  (alarm)  about  two  turns  after  setting  alarm  for  the 
desired  time  you  wish  to  feed.  When  the  hour  comes  you 
have  set  your  alarm  for,  the  spool  will  turn,  winding  up 


FIG.    211 — CROSS    SECTION    OF 
WATERING  PLATFORM 


FIG.    210— TRQLLEY   ON  WIRE   CABLE 


the  string  which  pulls  the  trigger  and  liberates  the  hinged 
door.  The  grain  then  falls  upon  the  spreader  and  scat- 
ters in  all  directions.  The  feeder  is  to  be  hung  from 
ceiling  of  poultry  house  near  roof,  or  can  be  suspended 
out  of  doors  if  so  desired.  The  birds  will  soon  become 
familiar  with  the  ringing  of  the  alarm  and  know  it  is  time 
for  the  meal. 

MISCELLANEOUS  EQUIPMENT 

Various   Handy   Devices   for   Making  the   Poultry  Work 
Lighter,  and  Saving  Time. 

A  Mash  Pail. 

Where  mash  is  to  be  fed,"  either  wet  or  dry,  .a  pail 
with  a  hood  that  will  keep  the  mash  from  spilling  will  be 
found  a  decided  con- 
venience. Such  a  pail 
in  shown  in  Fig.  206 
and  can  be  used  in 
fulling  hoppers  or  pour- 
ing mash  into  troughs 
without  having  any 
of  the  contents 
wasted. 

A   Trolley   Feed 
Carrier 

In  long  compart- 
ment houses  a  trolley 
by  means  of  which 
feed,  litter,  droppings, 
etc.,  can  be  conveyed 
back  and  forth,  relieves  the  caretaker  of  much  hard  work. 
The  carrier  illustrated  in  Fig.  210  runs  on  a  wire  cable 
and  is  provided  with  a  grapple  by  which  feed  box,  bar- 
rels for  droppings,  bales  of  straw,  etc.,  are  readily  picked 
up  and  pushed 
along  to  their  des- 
tination with  a 
minimum  of  ef- 
fort. Where  trol- 
leys are  used,  the 
partition  doors 
generally  are  made 
m  pairs  and  hung 
on  double  -  action 
spring  hinges,  the 
carrier  pushing 
them  open  with- 
out special  atten- 
tion from  the  at- 
tendant. 

Fig.  209  shows 
another  method  of 
installing  trolleys, 
using  2x4  timbers 
to  form  the  track 
and  s  u  s  p  e  nding 
these  on  metal 
stirrups.  The  box 
shown  in  illustra- 
tion is  held  by 
hooks  which  can 

readily     be    disen-  

gaged  and  used  in 

handling    other  FIG-  212— HOME-MADE  OATS 

loads  STPROUTER 

Photo    from   Purdue    University. 


INTERIOR  FIXTURES   AND   EQUIPMENT 


101 


j 


Water  Vessels 

Water  vessels  may  be  of  metal  or  earthenware,  but 
should  never  be  of  wood.  Earthenware  is  liable  to  be 
broken  by  dropping  or  freezing,  but  with  careful  handling 
will  last  a  long  time  and  is  fairly  cheap.  Galvanized  ware 
is  usually  preferred  and  where  the  flocks  are  large  may 
consist  of  plain  10  or  12-quart  pails  supported  as  in  Figs. 
208  and  211.  The  platform  should  be  wide  enough  to  allow 
the  fowls  to  stand  and  drink  on  three  sides  and  the  hole 
in  which  the  pail  fits  should  be  just  large  enough  to 
hold  the  pail  about  one-third  above  the  platform,  which 
gives  the  fowls  easy  access  to  it,  and  prevents  it  being 
tipped  over.  The  stand  should  be  high  enough  so  that 
litter  will  not  be  liable  to  be  scratched  into  the  water. 
For  small  flocks  and  for  use  in  the  alleyway  shown  in 
Fig.  181,  one  or  one  and  one-half  gallon  crocks  with 
straight  sides  are  very  satisfactory.  If  to  be  used  in- 
side the  pens,  a  slatted  platform  should  be  provided  as 
illustrated  in  Fig.  207. 

For  winter  use  various  types  of  "nonfreezing"  water 
founts  are  made.  In  extremely  cold  climates  the  most 
practical  plan  is  to  use  heated  founts..  These  are  pro- 
vided with  a  small  lamp  underneath  the  water  vessel, 
which  keeps  the  water  well  above  freezing  temperature 
and  requires  only  a  limited  amount  of  kerosene  for  the 
purpose.  Small  oil  heaters  or  stoves  are  available  for 
those  who  wish  to  provide  homemade  devices.  It  is  not 
desirable  to  use  anything  that  supplies  much  heat,  nor 
should  lamps  with  glass  bowls  or  chimneys  ever  be 
used.  Especial  care  should  be  taken  with  all  such  appli- 
ances to  avoid  danger  of  fire. 

Where  the  cold  is  not  too  severe,  it  is  possible  to 
utilize  the  "fireless  cooker"  principle  in  protecting  the 
water  so  that  it  will  remain  free  from  ice  for  a  number 
of  hours  at  least.  For  this  purpose  an  ordinary  galvan- 
ized pail  of  suitable  size  may  be  used  providing  for  it  a 
wooden  enclosure  to  be  packed  with  newspapers,  chaff, 
planer  shavings  or  similar  material.  The  enclosure 
should  be  large  enough  so  that  the  pail  may  be  sur- 
rounded by  an  insulating  layer  two  to  three  inches  in 
hickness.  If  properly  made,  the  water  vessel  can  be 
emoved  for  emptying  or  cleaning  without  disturbing 
the  insulating  material.  So  protected,  a  pail  filled  with 
warm  water  in  the  morning  should  keep  free  from  ice 
11  day  long,  unless  the  temperature  drops  extremely 
low. 

Hook  for  Catching  Fowls 

For  catching  individual  fowls  nothing  is  better  than 
a    crook  similar  to  a  shepherd's  crook.     It  may  be  easily 

and  cheaply  made 
of  heavy  galvanized 
wire.  Use  about  5j4 
feet  of  wire  so  that 
when  the  crook 
(about  six  inches 
long)  has  been 
turned  on  one  end 
and  a  loop  for  the 
handle  on  the 
other,  the  finished 
implement  will  be 
at  least  4  feet  long. 
The  crook  should 
be  left  wide  enough 
so  that  it  may  be 
h  e  a  vi  1  y  wrapped 
with  cloth  or  adhe- 
FIG.  213 — DOOR  FASTENER  sive  tape  to  protect 


FIG.   214— PORTABLE   DUST   BOX 

the  fowls'  legs  from  injury.  A  loop  of  lighter  wire  may 
be  used,  attaching  it  to  a  wooden  handle,  but  it  is  diffi- 
cult to  fasten  it  securely  .in  place  and  an  all-wire  crook 
is  not  so  easily  seen  and  hence  will  disturb  the  fowls 

less. 

Home-Made  Appliances 

There  are  various  appliances  that  may  be  made  from 
empty  cans,  tin  boxes,  etc.,  which  will  answer  the  purpose 
almost  as  well  as  the  more  expensive  ones  purchased  at 
the  poultry  supply  store.  It  is  an  easy  matter  to  overdo 
the  matter  in  practicing  economy  by  the  use  of  such 
devices,  however.  The  true  test  in  every  case  is  not  how 
much  can  be  saved  in  first  cost  by  the  substitution  of 
home-made  articles  for  manufactured  ones,  but  whether 
they  are  as  good,  as  nearly  wasteproof,  and  as  convenient. 
If  not,  then  it  will  pay  better  in  the  long  run  to  spend  a 
little  money  and  have  equipment  that  will  really  answer 
the  purpose  and  save  feed  and  time.  However,  the  handy 
poultryman  can  make  grit  and  shell  boxes,  watering 
founts,  etc.,  from  waste  boxes  and  cans,  which  may  an- 
swer fully  as  well  as  manufactured  appliances. 

Handy  Door  Fastener 

The  simple,  inexpensive  door  and  gate  fastener 
shown  in  Fig.  213  will  prove  very  convenient  under  many 
conditions.  It  consists  simply  of  a  wedge-shaped  wooden 
block  nailed  to  gate  post  or  do'or  frame  and  adjusted  in 
width  so  that  when  the  door  or  gate  swings  shut  it  will 
bind  on  the  surface  of  the  wedge  and  will  be  held  se- 
curely until  it  receives  a  strong  push  or  pull.  On  a  par- 
tition door  or  small  gate,  place  it  low  enough  so  that  the 
foot  can  be  used  in  pushing  the  door  open. 

A  Portable  Dust  Bath 

This  dust  bath  (Fig.  214)  is  made  from  any  convenient 
box,  with  a  barrel  hoop  for  a  handle,  and  four  pieces  of 
wood  for  legs.  Make  it  about  12  inches  deep  and  not 
less  than  2  feet  square,  and  set  it  in  a  sunny  place  in  the 
house,  when  the  fowls  cannot  get  out,  and  see  how  quick- 
ly they  will  discover  what  it  is  meant  for. 

A  Safe  Way  to  Poison  Rats  and  Mice 

The  difficulty  of  using  rat  poison  about  poultry  houses 
without  en4a-ngeri-Hg  the  fowls,  can  be  entirely  overcome 
by  providing  , the  appliance  illustrated  in  Fig.  216,  par- 
ticularly if  the  poison  is  mixed  with  corn  meal  so  that 


102 


POULTRY  HOUSES  AND  FIXTURES 


the  rodents  cannot  carry  it  out.  A  convenient 
size  for  the  box  is  about  12x12  inches  and  6 
inches  high.  However,  the  dimensions  are  of 
no  special  importance.  The  top  of  the  box 
should  be  removable,  but  must  be  fastened 
securely  in  place  with  hinges,  hooks,  or  other- 
wise, so  that  it  cannot  be  accidentally  dis- 
placed. Provide  a  number  of  1^-inch  holes 
along  the  lower  edge  as  shown.  The  small 
tin  box,  indicated  by  dotted  lines,  which  is  to 
contain  the  poisoned  food,  is  to  be  nailed  se- 
curely in  the  center  of  the  bottom. 

The  trap  is  regularly  baited  with  a.  mix- 
ture of  one-third  sugar  of  lead  and  two-thirds 
corn  meal.  It  has  proved  quite  successful  in 
the  extermination  of  these  pests.  No  poultry 
keeper  whose  premises  are  infested  with  rats 
can  afford  to  let  up  in  the  warfare  against 
them.  Provide  as  many  of  these  safety  poi- 
soning devices  as  necessary  and  keep  them 
baited  at  all  times. 

OAT  SPROUTING  EQUIPMENT 

Sprouted  Oats  Are  Unequalled  As  Green  Feed  for  Fowls. 

Convenient  Plans  for   Making   Oat  Sprouters, 

With  or  Without  Heat. 

Sprouted  oats  form  one  of  the  best  sources  of  green 
food  and  almost  every  poultry  plant  these  day's  needs 
some  arrangement  for  producing  them.  Where  large  quan- 
tities of  oats  are  to  be  sprouted  it  is  better  to  have  a  sep- 
arate room  for  the  purpose  so  that  temperature  and  other 
conditions  may  be  exactly  controlled. 


— HOME-MADE   OATS  SPROUTER  WITH   LAMP 
COMPARTMENT 


FIG.    216 — SAFETY    RAT    POISONING    DEVICE 

To  succeed  with  oat  sprouting  in  winter  requires  a 
fairly  warm  room,  and  to  economize  floor  space,  racks  or 
cabinets  with  shallow  sliding  trays  should  be  provided,  as 
illustrated  in  Figs.  212  and  217.  Shallow  galvanized  iron 
trays  22x26  inches  and  one  inch  deep  should  be  provided. 
These  are  kept  on  racks  with  about  eight  inches  between 
each  tray,  as  illustrated  herewith.  Holes  are  punched  in 
the  bottoms  of  the  pans  so  that  the  surplus  water  used 
in  sprinkling  can  drain  away.  Instead  of  galvanized  pans, 
fine-mesh  wire  netting  can  be  used  for  the  bottoms  of 
wooden  trays,  or  wooden  bottoms  may  be  used.  The  use 
of  wooden  trays,  however,  is  not  recommended  on  account 
of  the  difficulty'  of  keeping  them  sweet  and  free  from 
mold.  Soaked  oats  are  liable  to  sour  and  mold  if  the  trays 
are  moldy,  and  for  that  reason  galvanized  iron  trays, 
which  may  be  thoroughly  wa^ved  and  disinfected  after 
each  using,  are  much  more  satisfactory. 

Soak  the  oats  over  night,  then  put  in  a  coarse  sack 
and  drain,  after  which  they  are  spread  in  the  pans  to  a 
depth  of  one-half  to  three-fourths  of  an  inch.  They  should 
be  sprinkled  daily  with  tepid  water,  and  in  four  to  ten 
days  are  ready  to  feed,  depending  on  the  temperature  of 
the  room.  Some  light  is  needed  for  sprouting  oats  prop- 
erly, but  not  direct  sunlight.  A  fairly  well-lighted  base- 
ment or  cellar  answers  nicely. 

Inexperienced  persons  in  sprouting  oats  spread  them 
out  an  inch  or"  an  inch  and  a  half  deep.  Where  this  is 
done  many  of  the  oats  will  smother  and  fail  to  sprout, 
and  there  is  also  more  danger  of  mold.  If  spread  only 
one-half  inch  in  depth  they  will  sprout  rapidly  and  be  in 
much  better  condition.  The  chief  difficulty  in  sprouting 
oats  is  to  prevent  mold.  Moldy  food  of  any  kind  is  unfit 
for  poultry  feeding  and  sprouted  oats  are  no  exception  to 
the  rule.  If  oats  are  spread  only  one-half  inch  thick,  suf- 
ficient warmth  supplied,  and  care  taken  to  clean  thor- 
oughly and  sun  the  sprouting  pans  and  buckets  used  in 
soaking,  there  should  be  no  trouble  from  this  source. 

As  an  additional  precaution  against  mold,  a  solution 
made  by  adding  one  ounce  of  formalin  to  four  gallons  of 
water  will  be  found  effective.  The  dry  oats  should  be 
sprinkled  with  this  solution  until  wet  enough  to  pack  in 
the  hand.  They  then  should  be  spread  out  two  or  three 
inches  deep  on  the  floor  or  in  trays  or  boxes  and  covered 
with  cloth  or  bagging  for  two  hours,  after  which  they  may 
be  uncovered  and  allowed  to  dry  before  soaking  for 
sprouting.  Buckets  and  trays  should  be  washed  with  the 
formalin  each  time  they  are  used. 


INTERIOR   FIXTURES   AND    EQUIPMENT 


103 


Circular  37  of  Purdue  (Indiana)  Experiment  Station 
illustrates  and  describes  a  cheap,  easily  made  oat  sprouter 
(see  Fig.  212)  that  will  provide  sufficient  green  food  for 
a  good-sized  flock.  It  can  be  made  to  take  trays  of  the 
dimensions  previously  described  or  modified  to  meet  any 
special  requirements.  This  sprouter  can  be  located  in  any 
convenient  building  or  room  and  for  cold  weather  it  i? 
entirely  practical  to  -enclose  it  and  provide  a  small  lamp 
or  lantern  underneath  to  get  proper  warmth  for  germi- 
nation. 

A  Lamp  Heated  Oat  Sprouter 

Where  only  a  comparatively  small  number  of  fowls 
are  to  be  provided  for  and  the  oats  must  be  sprouted  in 

a  cold  house  or 
room,  the  lamp- 
heated  sprouter 
shown  in  Fig. 
215  is  p  a  r  t  i  c  - 
ularly  convenient. 
The  cabinet  can  be 
made  in  any  desired 
size,  making  the 
trays  as  directed  for 
the  oat  sprouting 
room  described  on 
page  102,  but  grad- 
uating the  spacing 
for  the  trays  as  in- 
dicated in  the  illus- 
tration. Under  the 
trays  a  water-tight 
drawer  is  provided 
and  a  ventilated 
lamp  chamber  un- 
derneath. Use  a 
lamp  or  small  oil 
stove  and  regulate 
the  flame  so  that 
the  temperature  in 
the  cabinet  will  be 
about  70  to  75  de- 
grees, and  the  oats 
will  grow  rapidly. 
In  order  to  avoid 
mold,  the  trays  and 
the  entire  inside 
chamber  should  be 
thoroughly  d  i  s  i  n  - 
fected  at  frequent 
intervals.  Formalin 

solution  is  excellent  for  the  purpose,  spraying  or  mopping 
all  inside  surfaces. 

Illuminating  Poultry  Houses 

The  illumination  of  poultry  houses  in  winter  months 
with  a  view  to  increasing  egg  yields  is  receiving  much 
attention  at  the  present  time.  One  of  the  main  difficul- 
ties in  securing  good  winter  production  appears  to  be  the 
shortness  of  the  hen's  working  day.  Short  days  reduce 
her  time  for  eating,  also  her  time  for  digestion  and  assimi- 
lation. In  mid-winter  when  the  fowls  go  to  roost  at  four 
or  half-past  four  in  the  afternoon  and  remain  until  seven 
or  eight  in  the  morning,  comparatively  little  of  the  day 
is  left  for  eating,  laying,  etc.,  and  the  extremely  long  fast 
through  the  night  clearly  must  cut  down  food  consump- 
tion. 


FIG.  217 — A  CORNER  IN  AN  OAT 
SPROUTING  ROOM 


Experiments  made  by  practical  poultry  keepers  have 
shown  that  artificially  lighting  the  poultry  house  for  a 
few  hours,  morning  and  evening,  so  that  the  fowls  have 
daylight  or  its  equivalent  for  twelve  to  fourteen  hours 
out  of  the  twenty-four,  regularly  results  in  a  marked  in- 
crease in  egg  production,  other  conditions  being  favor- 
able. Similar  results  have  been  secured  at  certain  of  our 
Agricultural  Experiment  Stations,  particularly  at  Cornell 
University,  where  the  subject  is  being  carefully  investi- 
gated and  where  striking  results  in  favor  of  illumination 
have  been  secured.  The  advantage  in  the  method  appears 
to  be  due  to  the  fact  that  with  a  longer  day  the  fowls 
have  more  time  for  eating  and  digesting  the  large  amount 
of  food  essential  to  heavy  production.  They  must  have 
not  only  sufficient  food  to  maintain  their  physical  well- 
being,  to  keep  up  or  increase  their  flesh,  and  to  furnish 
fuel  for  warmth  on  cold  winter  days,  but  they  also  must 
consume  a  sufficient  amount  of  food  in  addition,  to  fur- 
nish ample  material  for  the  formation  of  eggs. 

The  following  is  an  illustration  given  by  Professor 
Rice  of  Cornell,  showing  the  results  obtained  by  a  New 
York  State  poultryman  who  kept  an  accurate  record  of 
results  secured  with  a  flock  in  an  illuminated  house  and, 
for  comparison,  the  record  of  a  similar  flock  without 
illumination: 

PRODUCTION    OF*   OIVE    HUNDRED    HENS    IN   UNL.IGHTED 

HOUSE 

March  Price 

Eg^s  Laid  Per  Doz.  Receipts 

December    14  $.69  $   .82 

January    154  .71  21.12 

February    430  .57  30.10 

March    ...   841  .43  44.35 

April 1401  .43  42.35 

May  1605  .38  42.14 

June    ..                                                            ..   792  .43  28.38 


Total    ..  ....4362 


$176.00 


PRODUCTION    OF    ONE    HUNDRED    HENS    IN    ILLUMI- 
NATED HOUSE 

March  Price 
Egg's  Laid     Per  Doz.     Receipts 

December    1410  $.69  $81.08 

January    780  .71  46.15 

February    , 548  .57  26.90 

March    483  .43  17.23 

April    „ 451  .43  14.25 

May    771  .38  25.04 

June    ..  ..   704  .43  25.20 


Total  ...  4286 


$235.90 


This  experiment  and  numerous  others  of  a  similar 
character  clearly  prove  that  by  this  method  the  poultry- 
man can  get  more  high-priced  eggs  from  his  fowls  by 
the  use  of  lights.  It  seems  to  be  clearly  established  that 
illumination  does  not  actually  increase  the  number  of 
eggs  laid  by  hens  in  a  season,  but  it  changes  the  time  of 
laying  or  advances  production  from  the  low-price  months 
of  spring  to  the  high-price  months  of  early  winter.  In 
other  words,  the  poultryman  may  not  get  more  eggs  in 
number  by  this  method,  but  he  should  get  them  at  the 
time  when  they  bring  the  most  money. 

Where  electric  lights  are  available,  poultry  houses  can 
be  lighted  conveniently  and  with  little  expense.  The  size 
and  number  of  bulbs  to  be  used  are  determined  by  the 
amount  of  light  needed  properly  to  illuminate  the  house 
or  pen.  They  should  be  located  where  they  will  light  the 
house  to  best  advantage.  It  is  usual  to  provide  a  low- 
powered  bulb  as  well  as  a  high-powered  one,  so  that 
when  the  bright  light  is  turned  off  there  will  still  be  suf- 
ficient light  for  the  fowls  to  find  their  way  readily  to 
roost.  Numerous  poultry  kepers  who  do  not  have  elec- 
tricity are  reporting  good  results  with  acetylene,  gas  and 
gasoline  lights. 


CHAPTER    XI 


Exterior  Fixtures  and  General  Equipment 

Advantages  of  Double  Yarding  for  Fowls — How  to  Plan  Yards,  Build  Fences,  Etc. — How  to  Keep  Yards  Clean  and  Free 

From  Disease  Germs— Outdoor  Feed  Hoppers— Feed  Wagon — Brood  Coop— Labor-Saving  Method  of  Supplying 

Water  on  Range — Providing  Shade — Other  Special  Poultry  Plant  Equipment. 


o 


NORTH  YARD 

Slide  POOJV 

iocr-or 


UTDOOR  runs  are  provided  chiefly  to  afford 
fowls  a  means  of  securing  plenty  of  healthful  ex- 
ercise in  the  open  air,  and  in  a  general  way  are 
regarded  as  indispensable  to  successful  and  profit- 
able poultry  keeping.  It  is  true  that  many  back-yard  flocks 
are  kept  confined  to  their  houses  the  year  around  and 
with  excellent  results  and,  of  course,  yards  have  little 
value  in  the  north,  in  winter  weather.  Nevertheless,  the 
advantages  of  having  outdoor  runs  of  ample  size  are  so 
great  that  few  poultry  keepers  care  to  dispense  with  them 
except  with  quite  small  flocks  or  for  a  limited  time. 

One  important  advantage  afforded  by  runs  or  yards, 
though  it  often  is  overlooked  or  neglected,  is  the  oppor- 
tunity to  procTuce  green  food  for  the  hens.  A  growing 
crop,  properly  managed,  not  only  provides  a  continuous 
supply  of  this  healthful  and  economical  part  of  the  ra- 
tion, but  by  using  up  the  accumulating  fertility  keeps  the 
ground  in  a  wholesome  condition  and  lessens  the  danger 
from  disease.  Bare,  unproductive  poultry  yards  ought  to 
be  regarded  as  inexcusable  unless 

they  are  necessarily  so  small  that  it      -tr- 

is  impossible  to  keep  anything  green 
growing  in  them. 

The   amount     of    yard   room     that 
should   be   provided   per   fowl   cannot 
be  arbitrarily  fixed.  A  little  is  better 
than  none;  and  a  good  deal  is  better 
than   a  little.    The   only  general  rule 
that    can   be   given   is   to   provide   as 
much  as  possible,  remembering,  how- 
ever,  that   the   cost   of   fencing   large 
yards  amounts  to  a  considerable  fig- 
ure,   and    obviously    there    are    limits 
beyond   which   it   is    not   practical   to 
extend  them.    Under  most  conditions 
one  hundred  square  feet  per  hen,  di- 
vided into  two  runs   of  equal   size  and  used  alternately, 
will   keep   them   in   green     food     throughout    the     entire 
growing  season.    But  the  same  amount  of  ground  in  one 
yard   to   which   the   fowls   have   access   at  all   times,  will 
soon  be  picked  off  so  close  that  the  growth  will  be  killed 
and  the  ground  left  bare. 

Wherever  practicable  the  runs  should  be  made  large 
enough  and  be  so  fenced  that  they  can  be  cultivated  by 
horsepower.  Spading  is  a  tedious  and  laborious  operation 
and,  while  it  must  be  resorted  to  with  small  yards,  it  is 
always  a  handicap,  and  the  necessity  for  doing  it  should 
be  avoided  if  possible.  Small  yards  cost  much  more  in 
proportion  to  the  amount  of  land  enclosed. 

A  satisfactory  arrangement  of  runs  for  the  laying  or 
breeding  flock  is  illustrated  in  Fig.  218,  in  which  the 
house  is  shown  between-two  runs,  one  on  the  north  and 
the  other  on  the  south  side.  The  width  of  the  yard  is 
determined  in  this  case  by  the  width  of  the  house  pen, 
but  it  can  be  as  long  as  necessary  or  as  the  limits  of 
available  land  make  possible.  In  the  case  of  a  continuous 
house  the  gates  in  the  yard  fence  next  the  house  should 
always  be  made  wide  enough  for  the  passage  of  a  team 
so  that,  in  cultivating,  the  horses  can  turn  from  one  yard 
into  the  next  instead  of  having  to  make  a  complete  turn 


in  -the   same  yard,   which   usually  results   in   much   injury 
to   the   fencing. 

Fig.  220  shows  another  double-yarding  plan  that 
often  can  be  utilized  to  good  advantage  where  only  a 
limited  amount  of  land  is  available.  In  carrying  out  this 
plan,  each  pen  is  provided  with  a  small  outdoor  yard  on 
which  no  attempt  is  made  to  keep  anything  growing  ex- 
cept, possibly,  one  or  two  trees  which  will  afford  agree- 
able shade  in  hot  weather.  Adjoining  these  small  yards 
are  large  runs  occupying  all  the  rest  of  the  available 
ground  and  planted  to  a  suitable  growing  crop.  The  hens 
are  given  access  to  the  small  yards  at  all  times,  but  are 
allowed  to  have  access  to  the  large  runs  only  when  the 
crop  is  in  proper  condition  for  their  use.  It  is  generally 
understood  that  fowls,  if  allowed  to  overrun  a  small  plot 
of  green  stuff,  will  soon  kill  it  off,  whereas  if  they  are  only 
given  access  to  it  for  a  limited  time,  the  plants  will  keep 
growing  right  along  and  will  furnish  a  constant  supply  of 
green  food,  week  after  week.  This  method  of  yarding 


HOUSE  PEN 
16-CTx  2O-O" 


SOUTH  YARD 
Poor 


IOO'-Of* 


FIG.   218 — DOUBLE  YARD  PLAN  FOR  SINGLE  OR  COMPARTMENT  HOUSE 


calls  for  more  fencing  and  more  gates  than  the  plan  in- 
dicated in  Fig.  218,  but  it  is  well  adapted  to  the  condi- 
tions of  the  back-lotter,  and  of  small  producers  generally. 
Another  double-yarding  method,  where  the  yards  can  be 
any  desired  width  regardless  of  the  width  of  the  house, 
is  illustrated  in  Fig.  219. 

BUILDING   POULTRY   FENCES 

Directions  for  Putting  Up  Wire  Fence,  That  Will  Make 
the  Work  Much  Easier. 

In  building  permanent  poultry  fences  it  pays  to  use 
only  the  best  materials.  Fence  building  is  an  expensive 
matter  at  best,  on  account  of  the  amount  of  labor  re- 
quired, and  if  poor  material  is  used  or  the  work  careless- 
ly done,  the  final  cost  is  greatly  increased.  If  wooden 
posts  are  used,  black  locust,  catalpa,  cedar,  and  chestnut 
are  the  most  durable  of  the  timbers  generally  available.  It 
will  pay  to  give  the  lower  end  of  all  posts  a  coating  of 
creosote  or  hot  tar  before  setting  them  in  the  ground. 
Where  sand  and  stone  or  gravel  are  available,  concrete 
posts  are  cheapest  in  the  long  run.  Even  though  the  line 
posts  are  of  wood  it  pays  to  make  gate,  end,  and  corner 
posts  of  concrete.  It  is  not  a  serious  matter  to  replace 


104 


EXTERIOR  FIXTURES  AND  GENERAL  EQUIPMENT 


105 


FIG.   219— DOUBLE  YARDING  METHOD   FOR 
LARGE  YARDS 

an  ordinary  line  post,  but  with  wire  fences,  the  'failure 
of  an  end  post  lets  the  entire  fence  down  and  stretching 
it  a  second  time  may  be  more  difficult  than  at  first.  The 
corner  and  gate  posts  should  always  be  larger  and  set 
deeper  than  the  regular  posts  and  should  be  well  braced 
so  that  they  will  stand  any  strain  to  which  they  may  be 
subjected. 

In  the  purchase  of  poultry  fencing  there  is  only  one 
injunction  that  can  be  given  and  that  is  to  get  the  best 
obtainable.  Ordinary  hexagonal  netting,  if  well  galvanized 
after  weaving  (not  before),  generally  will  last  quite  well, 
but  it  is  difficult  to  stretch  it  evenly,  especially  where  the 
fence  is  to  be  built  on  irregular  ground.  There  are  other 
kinds  of  poultry  fencing  that  will  stretch  better  and  pos- 
sibly last  longer,  but  unfortunately  the  weight  of  the 
fence  or  the  thickness  of  the  wire  is  no  indication  of  qual- 
ity, as  some  comparatively  heavy  fencing  is  so  lightly 
galvanized  that  it  rusts  out  in  much  less  time  than  lighter 
wire  that  is  heavily  galvanized. 

Stretch  the  fence  carefully,  using  a  good  stretcher, 
which  usually  can  be  secured  from  the  dealer  who  sup- 
plies the  fencing,  if  the  poultryman  does  not  have  enough 
of  such  work  to  warrant  owning  one  of  his  own.  Where 
the  fence  must  be  stretched  without  a  regular  fence 
stretcher  the  following  method,  described  by  Don  Harri- 
son, may  be  used  in  putting  it  up: 


"Among  the  methods  employed  for  putting  up  poul- 
try netting,  I  have  found  no  way  which  is  so  expeditious 
and  in  every  way  satisfactory,  as  the  following: 

"Xail  the  boards  on  which  you  intend  to  fasten  the 
bottom  of  the  netting  in  such  a  manner  as  to  form  a 
straight  line,  as  netting  cannot  be  nicely  put  up  over  a 
line,  one  part  of  which  is  higher  than  the  rest,  without 
cutting  and  lapping  the  netting.  Have  the  posts  extend 
at  least  4  feet  4  inches  above  the  top  of  the  boards. 

"Xow  drive  six-penny  nails  about  J^-inch  into  the 
posts  4  feet  from  the  board.  Next  loosen  the  roll  of  net- 
ting and  run  a  slender  stick  lengthwise  through  the  cen- 
ter. I  use  a  measuring  stick  8  feet  long.  Have  two  per- 
sons take  hold  of  the  ends  of  the  pole  and  walk  as  near 
the  posts  as  possible,  thereby  causing  the  netting  to  un- 
roll. Xow  your  netting  lies  flat  on  the  ground.  Get  on 
the  opposite  side  of  the  fence  with  staple  and  hammer, 
and  staple  the  selvage  strand  to  the  top  or  edge  of  the 
board,  pulling  the  wire  just  enough  to  take  out  the  kinks. 
Do  not  try  to  stretch  it.  Now  one  edge  of  the  netting 
is  fastened  to  the  base  board  and  the  other  edge  lies  about 
4  feet  from  you  orr  the  ground.  Pick  up  the  free  edge 
and  hook  it  over  the  nails  previously  driven  in  the  posts. 
Fasten  the  ends  of  the  netting  to  their  respective  posts, 


FIG.  221— FEED  AND  WATER  WAGON  FOR  SERVING 
COLONY  FLOCKS 

Where  fowls  are  kept  in  small  colony  flocks  more  or 
less  scattered  over  the  fields,  a  convenient  low-down  wagon 
or  truck  is  a  great  convenience.  The  wagon  here  shown 
on  Poultry  Plant  of  Cornell  University,  carries  a  water 
barrel  provided  with  a  hose  and  faucet,  a  box  for  feed  and 
a  milk  can  in  which  a  supply  of  sour  milk  may  be  carried, 
and  a  pail  for  distributing  feed  and  water  when  needed. 
There  is  room  on  the  truck  also  for'  supplies  of  charcoal, 
grit,  oyster  shell,  etc. 


FIG.  220— PRACTICAL  DOUBLE  YARDING  METHOD  WHEN  SPACE  IS  LIMITED 
Photo   from  N.   J.   College   of  Agriculture. 


106 


POULTRY  HOUSES  AND  FIXTURES 


*¥ 


PIG.    222 — CONVENIENT    END    GATES    FOR    POULTRY    YARDS 


pulling  fairly  taut  and  fastening  securely.  Make  a  notch 
on  the  end  of  your  pole  deep  enough  to  hold  the  selvage. 
With  this  pole  push  the  netting  up  t>n  the  post,  having 
pulled  the  nail  when  you  attached  the  pole,  until  the  net- 
ting is  firm  and  straight.  Staple  the  selvage  wire  to  the 
post,  repeating  the  operation  on  each  post.  After  you 
have  done  this,  staple  to  the  post  as  much  as  you  think 
necessary.  I  use  two  staples  between  selvages,  making 
four  to  each  post,  and  as  for  the  bottom  I  staple  every 
2  feet. 

"With  a  boy  to  help  unroll  the  netting,  you  can  put 
up  a  roll  in  twenty  minutes.  Our  yards  are  on  level 
ground  and  we  have  posts  sawed  3  by  3  inches  and  8 
feet  4  inches  long.  We  drive  them  2  feet  into  the  ground 
and  put  two  12-inch  boards  at  the  bottom  to  prevent  the 
males  from  fighting." 

Where  the  yards  are  to  be  used  by  breeding  flocks 
it  is  always  desirable  to  make  the  first  two  feet  solid  as 
described  by  Mr.  Harrison.  For'  ordinary  layirtg  flocks 
this  is  not  imperative,  and  as  this  method  of  construc- 
tion adds  considerable  to  the  cost  it  is  customary  to  use 
only  one  10  or  12-inch  board  which  is  needed  in  order  to 
have  a  substantial  base  to  which  the  bottom  wire  or  sel- 
vage can  be  securely  stapled.  Wire  fences  usually  re- 
quire posts  about  every  16  feet  with 
a  short  post  between  each  to  support 
the  middle  of  the  base  board  and 
keep  it  from  warping. 

It  is  always  desirable  to  make  am- 
ple provision  for  getting  the  plow 
team  into  and  out  .  of  the  yards. 
Where  the  yards  are  narrow  the 
plan  of  having  the  end  of  the  yards 
closed  with  one  big  gate,  as  in  Fig. 
222,  is  a  good  one.  With  these  gates 
open  the  team  can  be  taken  into  the 
yard  for  plowing,  turning  it  in  the 
open  space  at  the  foot  of  the  yard. 
If  the  yards  are  connected  at  the 
other  end  with  wide  gates  so  that  the 
team  can  turn  through  into  an  ad- 
joining yard  instead  of  having  to 
make  a  complete  turn  in  one  yard,  it 
is  possible  to  plow  and  cultivate 
quite  narrow  runs  with  comparative- 
ly little  difficulty. 

Gate   Fastener 

A  simple  and  effective  gate  fast- 
ener is  shown  in  Fig.  223,  which  any 


blacksmith  can  make  in  a  few  mo- 
ments' time.  It  consists  of  a  strip 
of  strap  iron  about  T/2-mch  wide  and 
bent  in  the  shape  of  a  U  with  the  stem 
long  enough  to  extend  over  the  gate 
as  shown.  In  the  closed' end  a  plain 
iron  ring  iy2  to  2  inches  in  diameter 
is  hung  loosely  on  a  rivet  and  the 
whole  device  is  screwed  firmly  to  the 
gate  post.  The  ring  drops  down  on 
the  rivet  and  in  this  position  will 
hold  the  gate  securely  so  that  it  can 
not  be  opened  until  the  ring  is 
raised  by  hand.  With  a  little  trim- 
ming on  the  inside  edge  of  the  top 
rail  of  the  gate  the  ring  will 
automatically  raise  up  as  the  gate 
swings  shut  and  then  will  promptly 
drop  into  place  again. 

Yard  Tools 


Small    yards    should    be    cleaned    and    spaded    at    fre- 
quent intervals  in  order  to  keep  them  free  from  accumu- 
lations   of    filth.      Many    careful    poultry 
keepers    make    it    a    practice    to    sweep 
small  yards  once  a  week,  for  which  pur- 
pose there  is  nothing  better  than  a  fibre 
brush   like   the   one   shown   in   Fig.   224. 
Where  this  attention  is  given,  the  yards 
will   look  better,   smell  better   and   keep 
in    much    more    wholesome    condition. 

Once  a  month  is  not  too  often  to 
spade  the  yards  if  they  are  quite  small. 
It  is  not  necessary  to  do  all  the  spad- 
ing at  once,  but  a  spading  fork  like  the 
one  shown  in  Fig.  224  should  be  kept 
handy  and  a  small  portion  of  the  ground 
spaded  from  day  to  day.  The  fowls 
will  appreciate  the  worms  that  will 
be  turned  up,  and  if  the  prac- 
tice is  formed  of  sprinkling  a  small  amount  of  grain  over 
the  ground  before  spading  (oats  are  excellent  for  this  pur- 


FIG.    223. 
SIMPLE    GATE 

FASTENER 


FIG.  224 — BROOM  AND  SPADING  FORK  FOR  KEEPING  YARDS  CLEAN 


EXTERIOR  FIXTURES  AND  GENERAL  EQUIPMENT 


107 


considered  merely  temporary  however,  every  effort  being 
made  to  get  some  fruit  trees  growing  in  the  yards  as  soon 
as  possible.  Fruit  trees  provide  the  best  of  shade  and 
will  soon  prove  a  source  of  additional  income  as  well. 

MISCELLANEOUS  OUTSIDE  EQUIPMENT 

Omit  None  of  These  Articles  of  Equipment  That  Can  Be 

Used  to  Good  Advantage.     They  Save 

Time  and  Strength. 

It  does  not  pay  to  abuse  broody  hens;  neither  does 
it  pay  to  allow  them  to  continue  sitting  indefinitely  before 
breaking  them  up.  If  taken  in  hand  as  soon  as  broodi- 


225 — OUTDOOR    GREEN    POOD    PROTECTOR 

pose)  the  fowls  will  get  double  enjoyment  out  of  it.  If 
they  do  not  find  some  of  the  grain  until  after  it  sprouts, 
so  much  the  better. 


PIG.  226 — A  COOL  SPOT  ON  A  HOT  DAY 

Green  Food  Protector 

In  small  yards  it  often  is  desirable  to  use  a  frame  such 
as  is  shown  in  Fig.  225  for  protecting  small  plots  of 
green  stuff  so  that  the  fowls  can  help  themselves  to  the 
leaves  when  they  reach  the  proper  height,  but  which  will 
keep  them  from  trampling  over  the  plants,  scratching 
them  out  or  killing  them  off  by  pick- 
ing out  the  tender  gree'n  hearts  as 
they  almost  invariably  do  when 
given  the  opportunity.  Make  the 
frame  of  any  convenient  size,  using 
boards  6  to  8  inches  wide  for  the 
sides  and  covering  with  1-inch  poul- 
try netting,  using  sufficient  cross 
pieces  to  hold  the  wire  at  the  proper 
height. 

Shade  for  Bare  Yards 

It  is  not  as  clearly  understood  as 
it  should  be  that  fowls  and  chicks 
suffer  greatly  from  extreme  heat — • 
more  so,  perhaps,  than  from  cold, 
and  it  is  not  only  an  act  of  hu- 
manity, but  a  source  of  added  profit 
as  well,  to  provide  for  their  comfort 
during  the  hot  weather  by  seeing  to 
it  that  they  have  olenty  of  shade. 
Where  there  is  no  natural  shade  it  is 
necessary  to  provide  it  in  some  ar- 
tificial manner.  Almost  anything 
will  answer,  though  in  permanent 
yards  it  pays  to  set  up  substan- 
tial shelters,  such  as  the  one  shown 
in  Fig.  226.  These  shelters  should  be 


FIG.   227 — OUTDOOR  COOP  FOR  BROODING  HENS 

ness  develops  they  can  be  broken  up  more  quickly  and 
will  be  ready  to  start  laying  again  in  much  shorter  time 
than  will  be  the  case  if  they  are  allowed  to  sit  for  several 
days  before  being  placed  in  confinement.  The  best  way 
to  break  them  up  is  to  confine  them  to  a  suitable  coop 
such  as  the  one  shown  in  Fig.  227. 

In  warm  weather  it  is  more  satisfactory,  as  a  rule, 
to  have  the  broody  hens  confined  to  these  outdoor  coops 
rather  than  indoor  coops  such  as  are  illustrated  on  page 
91.  This  outdoor  coop  is  used  and  recommended  by 
the  Missouri  State  Poultry  Experiment  Station,  and  its 


FIG.    228 — OUTDOOR    FEED    HOPPER 
Photo    from    United    States    Department    of    Agriculture. 


108 


POULTRY  HOUSES  AND  FIXTURES 


construction  is  easily  understood  from  the  illustration. 
The  bottom  is  slatted  so  that  the  fowls  cannot  sit  on  the 
floor  and  so  that  the  droppings  will  fall  to  the  ground, 
thus  avoiding  the  necessity  for  frequent  cleaning.  The 
top  is  made  movable  so  that  it  can  be  lifted  off  to  change 
the  hens  or  to  clean  and  disinfect  when  that  becomes 
.necessary.  If  placed  under  a  tree  or  open  shed  the  hens 
will  be  quite  comfortable,  and  if  well  fed  .will  soon  be 
ready  to  resume  laying  again. 

Labor-Saving   Watering   Device 

Where  large  numbers  of  fowls  are  to  be  watered,  and 
a  water  tap  is  available,  a  convenient,  labor-saving  method 

is  to  provide  a 
barrel  with  an 
ordinary  wooden 
faucet  near  the 
bottom,  a'r- 
ranged  to  drip 
into  an  earthen- 
ware crock,  gal- 
vanized pan,  or 
trough  of  suita- 
ble size  (see  Fig. 
229),  from  which 
the  fowls  drink. 
The  barrel  is 
filled  by  means 
of  a  hose  and 
the  faucet  is  set 
to  drip  just  fast 
enough  to  meet 
the  requirements 
of  the  fowls. 
Where  water  has 
to  be  hauled  and 
practicable  to 


FIG.  230 — KNAPSACK  SPRAYER  FOR 

DISINFECTING    AND    GENERAL, 

SPRAYING 


FIG.    229 — A   LABOR    SAVING 
WATERING   DEVICE 


must       be       avoided 


it 


waste 

use  a  regular  hog-watering  device  which  is  attached 
to  the  bottom  of  a  barrel,  or  a  suitable  tank, 
and  provided  with  a  float  by  means  of  which  a  fresh  sup- 
ply is  turned  on  whenever  the  water  in  the  drinking  cup 
is  lowered  to  a  certain  level. 

Outdoor  Feed  Hopper 

The  feed  hopper  for  grain  and  mash,  illustrated  in 
Fig.  228  is  especially  designed  for  outdoor  use.  It  can 
be  made  in  any  desired  size,  but  for 
use  on  the  range  should  be  large 
enough  to  hold  two  or  three  weeks' 
supply  of  feed  at  a  time  in  order  to 
avoid  frequent  refilling.  The  com- 
partments can  be  adjusted  as  to  num- 
ber and  size  according  to  individual 
requirements.  The  extended  sides 
and  top  protect'  the  feed  trough  from 
both  wind  and  rain,  and  the  top  is 
covered  with  a  good  grade  of  pre- 
pared roofing.  Top  is  fastened  in 
place  with  hooks  so  that  it  cannot 
blow  off.  In  illustration,  one  side  of 
roof  is  unhooked  and  set  aside  to 

show  interior  construction  and  the  middle  supports  that 
prevent  roof  from  bending  out  of  shape. 

A  Box  for  Carrying  Fowls 

Another  useful,  in  fact  almost  indispensable  article 
around  the  poultry  yard,  is  a  carrying  box  or  crate.  It 
often  is  necessary,  especially  where  one  is  somewhat 


€r-amp€4  for  room,  to  ehatige  young  stock  from  one  yard 
or  house  to  another,  separate  pullets  from  cockerels,  or 
double  up  yards  in  order  to  make  room  for  others.  With- 
out a  carrying  crate  the  poultryman  is  obliged  to  carry 
the  fowls  by  the 
legs,  five  or  six 
at  a  time,  which 
not  only  tends 
to  make  them 
wild,  but  there 
is  danger  of  in- 
juring many  fine 
birds.  With  this 
crate,  which  ha^ 
a  small  door  or 
a  loose  lath  in 
the  top,  a  dozen 
or  more  can  be 
caught  at  a  time 
and  transferred 
wherever  t  h  e  y 
are  wanted,  and 
this  can  be  done 

quietly  and  rapidly  without  injury  to  the  birds  and  with 
much  less  labor  than  carrying  them  in  the  usual  way. 

A  Sparrow  Trap 

In  many  localities  sparrows  are  a  source" of  con- 
tinual loss  to  poultry  keepers.  Often  clouds  of  them 
will  regularly  .visit  outside  feeding  places,  especially 
where  chicks  are  fed,  and  will  go  through  inch-mesh  win- 
dow netting,  to  get  at  indoor  feed  hoppers.  As  poison- 
ing is  unsafe  because  of  the  danger  to  fowls,  about  the 
only  means  of  exterminating  them  is  by  the  use  of  traps. 
The  one  shown  in  Fig.  232  is  practical  and  convenient. 

This  trap  is  made  of  galvanized  wire  cloth,  or  half 
inch  poultry  netting.  As  here  illustrated  is  about  a  yard 
in  length,  and  15  to  18  inches  high  and  wide.  The  ends 
of  the  trap  are  bent  in  as  shown,  and  provided  with  a 
3-inch  hole  next  to  the  ground.  About  this  hole  sharp- 
ened wire  spurs  are  bent  in  so  that  while  the  birds  have 
no  trouble  in  passing  through,  it  is  impossible  for  them 
to  fly  out  again.  The  white  spot  near  the  center  of  the 
trap  is  a  piece  of  bread,  used  as  bait.  This  trap  is  to  be 
set  on  the  ground  on  the  lawn  or  in  the  poultry  yard, 
and  its  efficiency  will  be  increased  if  two  or  three  spar- 
rows always  are  left  in  it  as  decoys. 


C  — 


FIG.    231 — SIMPLE   CARRYING   CRATE   FOR   FOWLS 


Wheelbarrows  and  Carts 

A  good  wheelbarrow  is  an  essential  article  of  equip- 
ment on  every  poultry  plant,  and  there  is  no  economy  in 
trying  to  get  along  without  it.  One  with  a  flat  bottom 
and  removable  sides  is  much  better  adapted  to  the  poul- 
try keeper's  requirements  than  the  cheaper  kind  with 
sloping  bottom  made  for  handling  dirt,  sand,  etc.  Hand- 


EXTERIOR  FIXTURES  AND  GENERAL  EQUIPMENT 


109 


FIG.   232— SPARROW  TRAP 
Photo  from  Rural  New  Yorker. 

ling  feed,  litter,  droppings,  etc.,  in  this  way  saves  a  great 
deal  of  hard  labor.  For  this  reason  all  doors  and  gates 
should  be  so  planned  as  to  make  the  use  of  a  wheel- 
barrow possible.  Generally  where  there  are  baseboards 
running  under  doors,  these  should  be  movable  and  held 
in  place  by  cleats  or  otherwise,  so  that  they  can  be  taken 
out  when  necessary. 

Under  many  conditions  a  two-wheeled  push  cart  will 
be  found  very  convenient,  as  it  requires  less  labor  than 
handling  a  similar  weight  on  a  wheelbarrow.  If  only 
one  of  these  implements  can  be  provided,  the  latter  will 
be  more  generally  useful,  but  the  cart  also  is  very  de- 
sirable and  on  larger  poultry  plants  should  always  form 
a  regular  part  of  the  equipment. 

Sprayers  for  Disinfecting  and  Whitewashing 
Every  poultry  plant  should  be  provided  with  some 
convenient  means  of  spraying  disinfectants,  also  for 
whitewashing.  It  is  not  only  much  more  convenient  to 
do  this  work  with  a  sprayer  than  by  the  use  of  a  brush, 
but  the  work  can  be  more  thoroughly  done.  For  use 
about  the  poultry  house  the  hand-sprayer  shown  in  Fig. 
233,  or  the  knapsack  sprayer  shown  in  Fig.  230,  are 
practical,  and  low  enough  in  cost  so  that  everyone  who 

keeps      fowls 


FIG.   233— HAND   SPRAYERS   FOR 
DISINFECTANTS 


can 

afford  to  have 
them.  For  large 
poultry  p  1  a  nt  s, 
barrel  outfits  such 
as  shown  in  Fig. 
234  will  be  found 
more  powerful  and 
rapid.  These 
sprayers  serve  a 
double  purpose 
since  every  poul- 
try keeper  has  or 
should  have  va- 
rious fruit  crops 


growing  on  the  land  and  these  require  regular  spraying 
in  order  to  give  best  results. 

The  Use  of  Disinfectants 

Disinfection,  should  be  looked  upon  as  a  preventive 
— as  insurance  against  disease,  rather  than  a  remedy  to 
be  resorted  to  after  disease  has  broken  out.  This  import- 
ant detail  of  poultry  work  usually  is  greatly  neglected 
on  the  average  poultry  plant  however,  because,  as  or- 
dinarily done,  it  is  a  laborious  and  most  unpleasant  job. 
The  best  way  to  guard  against  neglecting  it  is  to  make 
it  as  easy  and  as  convenient  as  possible  to  do  the  work. 
Get  a  good  spraying  outfit  and  keep  suitable  spraying 
materials  on  hand,  mixed  ready  for  instant  use. 

Whitewash.  For  fences,  small  coops,  runs,  etc.,  also 
for  interiors,  whitewash  is  desirable  and  low  in  cost. 
With  the  spraying  outfit  shown  in  Fig.  234,  it  can  be 
easily  and  quickly  applied.  Whitewash  brightens  up 
dark  interiors  surprisingly,  but  as  usually  made  and  ap- 
plied, it  rubs  off  readily  and  scales,  so  that  a  house  white- 
washed a  few  times  presents  a  decidedly  unattractive  ap- 
pearance unless  thoroughly  scraped  and  cleaned,  which 
few  persons  ever  take  the  trouble  to  do.  For  use  with 
sprayers,  whitewash  must  be  carefully  strained  and  it  is 
desirable  to  have  a  special  non-clogging  nozzle.  Formu- 
las and  directions  for  making  whitewash  will  be  found 
on  pages  23  and  24. 

Fumigation.  This  method  of  disinfection  is  effective 
only  when  the  building  to  be  treated  can  be  tightly 
closed  so  that  the  interior  may  be  subjected  to  the  ac- 


FIG.    234 — BARREL,   SPRAYKRS    FOR    WHITEWASH 
AND  OTHER  DISINFECTANTS 

tion  of  the  fumes  for  a  period  of  several  hours,  which 
rarely  is  possible  in  the  case  of  poultry  houses.  For  ex- 
terminating red  mites  carbon  disulphide  often  is  used 
in  small  buildings  and  coops  with  excellent  results,  but 
for  combating  disease  germs  fumigation  is  of  little  prac- 
tical value  in  the  average  poultry  house. 

Disinfectants.  The  various  coal  tar  disinfectants  on 
the  market  are  excellent  for  all  disinfecting  purposes. 
They  are  comparatively  cheap  and  are  easily  prepared, 
as  it  is  only  necessary  to  add  the  proper  amount  of  water 
to  the  disinfectant  as  purchased.  Coal  tar  disinfectants 
are  effective  against  lice  and  mites  as  well  as  disease 
germs,  and  if  used  frequently  about  the  perches,  nests, 
etc.,  these  pests  will  never  make  any  serious  trouble. 

If  for  any  reason  the  poultry  keeper  desires  to  make 
his  own  disinfecting  solution,  he  cannot  do  better  than 
provide  the  "cresol  disinfectant"  which  is  highly  recom- 
mended by  the  Maine  Experiment  Station.  The  method 
for  making  this  is  described  in  Bulletin  179,  as  follows: 

"The  active  base  of  cresol  soap  disinfecting  solution 
is  commercial  cresol.  This  is  a  thick,  sirupy  fluid  vary- 
ing in  color  in  different  lots  from  nearly  a  colorless 
fluid  to  dark  brown.  It  does  not  mix  readily  with  water 


110 


POULTRY  HOUSES  AND  FIXTURES 


and,  therefore,  in  order  to  make  a  satisfactory  dilute  so- 
lution, it  is  necessary  first  to  incorporate  the  cresol  with 
some  substance  like  soap  which  will  mix  with  water  and 
will  carry  the  cresol  over  into  the  mixture.  The  com- 
mercial cresol,  as  it  is  obtained,  is  a  corrosive  substance, 
being  in  this  respect  not  unlike  carbolic  acid.  It  should, 
of  course,  be  handled  with  great  care  and  the  pure 
cresol  should  not  be  allowed  to  come  in  contact  with  the 
skin.  If  it  does  so  accidentally,  the  spot  should  be  im- 
mediately washed  off  with  plenty  of  clean  water. 

Measure  out  3  1-5  quarts  of  raw  linseed  oil  in  a  4 
or  5-gallon  stone  crock;  then  weigh  out  in  a  dish  1  Ib. 
6  oz.  of  commercial  lye  or  "Babbit's  potash."  Dissolve 
this  lye  in  as  little  water  as  will  completely  dissolve  it. 
Start  with  ^  pint  of  water,  and  if  this  will  not  dissolve 


PIG.  235— CONCRETE  CREMATORY 
Photo   from   Maine   Experiment   Station. 

all  the  lye,  add  more  water  slowly.  Let  this  stand  for  at 
least  3  hours  until  the  lye  is  completely  dissolved  and 
the  solution  is  cold;  then  add  the  cold  lye  solution  very 
slowly  to  the  linseed  oil,  stirring  constantly.  Not  less 
than  5  minutes  should  be  taken  for  the  adding  of  this 
solution  of  lye  to  the  oil.  After  the  lye  is  added  con- 
tinue the  stirring  until  the  mixture  is  in  the  condition 
and  has  the  texture  of  a  smooth  homogeneous  liquid 
soap.  This  ought  not  to  take  more  than  a  half  hour. 
Then  while  the  soap  is  in  this  liquid  state,  and  before 
it  has  a  chance  to  harden,  add,  with  constant  stirring, 
8*/2  quarts  of  commercial  cresol.  The  cresol  will  blend 
perfectly  with  the  soap  solution  and  make  a  clear,  dark 
brown  fluid.  The  resulting  solution  will  mix  in  an> 
proportion  with  water  and  yield  a  clear  solution. 

Cresol  soap  is  an  extremely  powerful  disinfectant. 
For  general  disinfecting,  such  as  houses,  incubators, 
nests,  and  other  wood  work,  it  should  be  used  in  a  3  per 
cent  solution  with  water.  Two  or  three  tablespoonfuls 
of  the  cresol  soap  to  each  gallon  of  water  will  make  a 
satisfactory  solution.  This  solution  may  be  applied 
through  any  kind  of  spray  pump  or  with  a  brush.  Being 


a  clear  watery  fluid  it  can  be  used  in  spray  pumps  with- 
out difficulty.  For  disinfecting  brooders  or  incubators 
which  there  is  reason  to  believe  have  been  particular!} 
liable  to  infection  with  the  germs  of  white  diarrhea  or 
other  diseases,  the  cresol  may  be  used  in  double  strength, 
and  applied  with  a  scrub  brush  in  addition  to  the  spray. 

A  CREMATORY 

Dispose  of  All  Dead  Chicks  and  Fowls  By  Burning  Them, 
and  Thus  Avoid  the  Spread  of  Disease. 

By    DR.    RAYMOND    PEARL,  * 

On  every  poultry  plant  and  around  every  farm  there 
is  bound  to  occur,  from  time  to  time,  a  greater  or  less 
number  of  deaths  of  chicks  and  adult  fowls  from  disease 
or  other  natural  causes.  The  only  really  sanitary  method 
of  dealing  with  these  dead  bodies  is 
to  incinerate  them.  The  difficulty 
of  doing  this  is  that  the  poultryman 
or  farmer  usually  does  not  have  any 
suitable  source  of  heat  ready  at  all 
times.  To  meet  this  requirement 
there  has  recently  been  devised  the 
small  crematory  here  described,  and 
illustrated  in  Fig.  235.  This  crem- 
atory consists  of  a  cement  base  or 
fire  box,  bearing  on  its  top  a  series 
of  grate  bars  which  in  turn  are  cov- 
ered by  a  cremating  box  or  oven  in 
which  the  material  to  be  incinerated 
is  placed.  The  crematory  here  de- 
scribed is  large  enough  to  take  care 
of  all  the  needs  of  a  plant  carrying; 
1,000  head  of  adult  stock,  raising 
3000  to  4000  chickens  annually  and  in 
which  a  good  deal  of  anatomical  and 
physiological  research  is  going  on. 

In  building,  an  excavation  was 
first  made  for  the  base,  in  which  a 
lot  of  loose  stones  and 'gravel  were 
placed,  in  order  to  secure  adequate 
drainage  below  the  cement.  On  top 
of  this  the  cement  base  and  fire  box 
were  made.  The  base  consists  of  a 
rectangular  box  made  of  cement, 
open  at  the  top  and  with  a  small 
opening  in  front  through  which  the 
fire  is  fed  and  which  serves  as  a 

draught.  The  walls  are  about  6  inches  thick.  The  inside 
dimensions  of  fire  box  being  2  foot  3  inches  by  1  foot 
9*/2  inches  by  1'foot  4  inches.  Across  top  of  fire  box  there 
were  laid,  while  the  cement  was  still  soft,  some  old  grate 
bars  from  a  small  steam  boiler  which  had  been  dis- 
carded. These  were  set  close  together  and  held  firmly 
in  place  when  the  cement  hardened.  They  form  the 
grate  on  which  the  material  to  be  incinerated  is  thrown. 
The  incinerating  chamber  was  made  from  galvanized 
iron  by  a  local  tinsmith.  This  consists  of  a  rectangular 
box  2  feet  2  inches  long,  1  foot  10  inches  wide,  and  1 
foot  6  inches  high.  In  the  top  is  cut  a  round  hole  12 
inches  in  diameter,  which  is  protected  by  a  hinged  cover 
15  inches  by  14^  inches.  This  galvanized  box  has  no 
bottom.  It  is  placed  on  top  of  the  grate  bars  and  held 
firmly  in  place  by  cement  worked  up  around  its  lower 
edges.  At  the  back  of  this  iron  cremating  box  is  an 
opening  for  a  stove  pipe  which  is  necessary  in  order  to 
give  the  proper  draught.  A  wooden  box  is  provided 
which  sets  over  the  galvanized  portion  to  protect  it  from 
the  weather  when  not  in  use. 


*  Condensed    from    Maine    Station    Bulletin    No.    216. 


INDEX 


Administration  Building  for  Large   Plants 84 

Air  Space  Required  for  Fowls  11 

Anchoring  the  Poultry  House   16 

Back-Yard  Poultry  Keeping,  Neatness  in 25 

Back-Yard  Poultry  Plant,  Laying  Out  the 25 

Baffler,    Cornell    Wind   21 

Box  for  Carrying  Fowls  108 

Breeding   House,   Convenient   Eight-Pen    62 

for  Mild  Climates 63 

One-Pen  57 

Small    Two-Pen    57 

Brooder  House,  Comb.  Hot  Water  and   Colony  Hover 75 

for    Lamp-Heated    Hovers    71 

Massachusetts    Open    Pipe    73 

Single   Compartment  Colony  Hover   77 

Two-Compartment  Colony  Hover   77 

with  Underneath  Heating  System  74 

Brooding  Houses,  Capacity  of  Colony  Hover. 78 

Construction,  Details  of  House  Design  and 11 

Coop,    Drying    89 

Coop   for  Broody   Hens   107 

Cost   of  Building  ' — 11 

Crates,    Fattening   87 

Crematory,    A    ....110 

Cresol    Disinfectant    109 

Curtain-Front   Poultry  House   for    100    Fowls : 35 

Curtains,  Muslin  Shutters  and  19 

Design    and   Construction,   Details   of   11 

Dimensions    of   the   Laying   House   -. 12 

Direct   Sunlight   in  Poultry  House   13 

Disinfectants,  The  Use  of ....109 

Door   Fastener,   Handy    ....101 

Doors  and  Windows  18 

Doors,    Yard    18 

Double    Yarding    Plan    ....104 

Drafts  in  Small  Houses,   Preventing  33 

Droppings  Platforms  and   Nests   92 

Dust  Bath,  A  Portable   101 

Eaves,   Finishing  the 17 

Equipment,  Miscellaneous   Outside   .107 

Feeder,    An    Automatic    99 

Feed  and  Water  Wagon  105 

Hopper,    Outdoor    108 

House,  Combination  Laying  and  83 

House,  Equipment  for  the  83 

Troughs  and  Hoppers  97 

Fences,    Building    Poultry 104 

Floors,   Board   15 

Clay  14 

Concrete    14 

Concrete   Slab   14 

Earth    14 

Foundation,   Concrete   13 

Foundation,   Squaring  the   13 

Framing   the    Poultry   House    15 

Fumigation    109 

Gate    Fastener    10g 

Green  Feed  Holder  98 

Green   Feed   Protector   107 

Hardware    23 

Homemade    Appliances    ....101 

Hook   for  Catching  Fowls   101 

Hook    for    Moving    House    .- 65 

Hoppers,   Compartment   • 98 

Hopper  for  Mash  or  Grain,  A  Simple  Feed 98 

Hoppers,    Feed    97 

Hospital    for   Sick    Fowls    90 

House,   A   Cockerel    88 

An  Attractive  Piano  Box   68 

and   Run   Combined,  Portable   69 

A-Shaped  Back-Yard   31 

Building  Block  g4 

Canadian   Farm   Poultry    55 

Combination  Incubator  and  Brooder 82 

>  •ombination  Laying  and  Feed  83 

Concrete    Poultry   55 

Cornell    Model    Poultry    41 

Elevated  Poultry  27 

for  Adult  Fowls  or  Bantams   28 

for   Cold   Climates,    A   Laying   45 

for    Extreme    South    49 


House  for  100   Fowls,   Curtain-Front  Laying 
for    Twenty    Fowls    


35 

29 

for  Warm  Climates,  A  Laying  47 

Gable   Roof   Portable   65 

inexpensive   Back-Yard   Poultry   33 

in    Morristown    (Tenn.)    District    48 

Large    Semi-Monitor    52 

Low-Cost  Piano   Box  69 

Maine    Station    34 

Mammoth    Incubator    81 

Minnesota  Model    53 

Missouri   Poultry   43 

New   England   Laying   40 

Open-Front    Laying 49 

Scratching  Shed  ; 34 

Sectional    Colony   .'. 67 

Sled-Runner  Colony  '. 66 

Six  Compartment  Laying  33 

Straw-Loft  Laying  45 

Straw    Poultry    55 

Two-Pen    Back-Yard    Poultry    29 

Western    Washington    Poultry   53 

With   Elevated   Floor   53 

With    Semi-Monitor    Roof    50 

Houses,  Other  Warm  Climate  48 

Houses  for  Adult  Fowls,  Location  of 10 

Illuminating  Poultry  Houses  - 103 

Incubator   House,   A   Small    80 

Incubator    House,   How    to    Build    79 

Intensive  or  Extensive  Methods  7 

Layout  for  Large  Poultry  Plant  8 

Layout  for  One  Man  Poultry  Farm  10 

Locating    Poultry    Houses    7 

Low-Cost  Houses,  Building  37 

Lumber,  How  to  Order  12 

Manure  Pit  for  the  Laying  House  92 

Manure    Shed,    Concrete    ...  90 

Mash    Pail,   '. ....100 

Materials  to  Use  12 

Nest,   Orange   Box   94 

Platform   94 

Sectional    94 

The  Connecticut  Trap  95 

The   "Gravity"   Trap  96 

Wall    ' "  94 

Nests,   Trap    94 

Oat   Sprouting  Equipment   ....102 

Open-Front  Laying  House 49 

Paint 23 

Partitions  92 

Passageways    and    Partitions    91 

Perch  Supports  ..! 93 

Permanen*  Brooder  Houses,  Advantages  of 70 

Planning    to   Save   Labor   9 

Portable  Houses,  Advantages  of  65 

Rats  and  Mice,  A  Safe  Way  to  Poison 101 

Roofs,  Different  Types  of  Poultry  House 16 

Roosting    Closets 93 

Runs  and  Yards  104 

Shade  for  Bare  Yards  107 

Shutters  and  Curtains,  Muslin  19 

Laying   House    With    Divided    21 

Substitutes    for 20 

Sparrow  Trap  108 

Sprayers   for   Disinfecting   109 

Straw  Lofts  21 

Temporary  Poultry  Houses,  Building 22 

Tools   24 

Trolley  Feed   Carrier  100 

Ventilating  System,  King  22 

Ventilator.  Rear  Wall   21 

Walls,  Constructing  the  16 

Watering  Device,  Labor  Saving  108 

Water   Vessels    101 

Wheelbarrows  and  Carts  108 

Whitewash    Formula 24 

"Whitewash,   The  Use   of   109 

Windows  and  Doors  18 

Yardroom   Required,  Amount   of  .104 

Yards,  Advantages  of  Double  104 

Yard    Tools    ..  ....106 


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